Pretending to Date
by Wannabedoctor
Summary: Mer and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but instead became friends. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone but what happens when the want to meet her. Mer pretends to be his girlfriend.
1. The call from home

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.

Note: Just an idea I came up with in German class. Please review and tell me what you think.

The call from home

Derek was walking around Seattle Grace hospital slowly lost in thought. He was on his way to round and thinking about the phone call he just received from his mother.

"_Derek guess what." His mother, Ana Shepherd, said on the other end of the phone. "I spoke with Dr. Webber yesterday and he decided to give you two weeks off to visit with us in Colorado to go skiing."_

"_How did you convince him to do that? Please don't say you paid him." Derek said running his hand through his hair out of worry. His family is known for buying there way around obstacles._

"_I didn't pay him off. We just made a generous donation to the hospital." Ana said trying to calm down her son and tell him the rest of her news. "I also thought you could bring that new girlfriend of yours."_

_Crap Derek thought. He made up his girlfriend based on things he did with his best friend Meredith. "Um...I don't thing she will be able to make it. She has to work. I will have to ask her and get back to you." Derek said and pushed the test button on his pager. "Oh I have to go. Patient is crashing." With that Derek hung up the phone and started walking off to rounds._

Derek hadn't even had a date with anyone since he met Addison thirteen years ago let alone a girlfriend. He was screwed unless he got Meredith to pose as his girlfriend. He was so deep in thought he didn't even realize he had arrived at the patient's room.

Derek walked over to Meredith and peered over her shoulder and looked at the chart she was reading. He whispered in her ear so that her resident Dr. Miranda 'Nazi' Bailey wouldn't hear thinking he is giving her favoritism because they are friends.

"Mer, can I speak with you privately after rounds." Derek asked earning a small nod from Meredith before walking closer to the patient. "Who is presenting today?" Meredith walked forward and discussed treatment options for the Parkinson's patient.

MERDER MERDER MERDER MERDER MERDER MERDER MERDER MERDER

"You wanted to speak with me Dr. Shepherd." Meredith stated walking into his office.

"Yes I did. How do you feel about going to Colorado for two weeks?" Derek asked looking up from the chart he was staring at.

"I um...ah…that is nice of you to invite me." Meredith said wondering if it was a good idea. She secretly had a crush on her best friend and going away on vacation together might not be a good idea. He isn't ready to date he just got divorced, right.

"I lied to my mother and sisters saying I had a girlfriend so they would think I am over the whole divorce and cheating thing. They want the two of us to go skiing in Colorado with them. I thought we could pretend we are dating just for the two weeks. I am sure you will get your own room and a nice break from work. It is a beautiful place and as my best friend you can meet my family. You don't have to if you don't want to. I can just say she can't come."

"When are we going?" That wasn't exactly what Meredith wanted to say. She should have said no for some reason but she couldn't bring herself to hurt Derek. For once in a long time he looked really happy.

"So you'll go with me. You will have so much fun. We can talk over details of the trip and our 'relationship' at lunch."

"Great. I am just going to get the patient's labs. See you at lunch." Meredith said walking away with a spring in her step. Derek watched her walk out and thought this maybe a fun trip after all. He was going to spend two weeks basically secluded with the only girl he thought about dating since the divorce.


	2. Fakelationship

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.

Fakelationship

Lunch is what kept Derek and Meredith going all day. Derek made it to the cafeteria first and bought them lunch. He picked a table in a secluded corner of the cafeteria so no one would interrupt their conversion. He was glad Addison and Mark weren't showing off their newly rekindled romance today. They were both off. Meredith showed up walking over to the table with a smile on her face.

"You bought me lunch." She said as she sat down next to him smiling ear to ear.

"Well I am your 'boyfriend' I thought I would start pretending now so we don't mess up." As he said boyfriend he made quotes in the air with his hands. He was hoping that one day in the near future he wouldn't have to do that and it would be true.

"Okay so we should talk details of our relationship." She said taking a bite of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "When did we start seeing each other?"

Derek took a chip off of her tray and ate it before looking at his watch. "We started 'dating' around 8:00 this morning." She throws a piece of popcorn at him.

"That is not what I meant. We have to have the same story without any room for error. If I tell one of your sisters one thing and you tell them another they might notice." She grabs his water bottle and takes a long sip. He gives her a look. "What?"

"We won't have a problem with eating each others' food now all you have to do is eat it more romantically. Like off of the same fork or something." Derek said and grabbed the water bottle back from her hands.

"Okay let's talk business now. My very demanding attending is going to make me run labs soon." Meredith said moving past their playful behavior to the serious conversation they are supposed to be having.

"Hey fine we can if you want to. Let's just use the real story of how we met." Derek said thinking back to that day.

_Flashback_

_Meredith ditched the intern mixer early. She couldn't stand to make small talk with her competition. She needed a drink, badly. She entered a bar across the street from the hospital that she was going to start working from the next day and sat at the bar. Her usual thing was to get drunk and laid but today she just wanted to talk to a friend the only problem is she didn't have any here. They were all back in Boston. She was nervous and didn't want to bring an inappropriate guy home so she settled to drink beer instead she only really got drunk off of tequila. _

_Derek Shepherd entered the bar across from the hospital he just started working in two weeks prior. Tonight he wanted to drown his sorrows it would have been his 11th wedding anniversary if it wasn't for Mark, the ex-best friend, and Addison, the anything but faithful ex-wife. Well soon to be ex-wife if there wasn't a law saying they had to be legally separated for six months for a divorce. He tried to stay in New York but couldn't stand the lucks of pity he got from some and the come ons from others. So he jumped at the offer when Richard called him four weeks ago saying his Chief of Neurology was retiring. _

_Derek noticed a beautiful looking girl sitting on a bar stool turn away three guys in a room from the stool he had taken residency on. She looked just as depressed and in need of a friend as he was so he walked over to her._

"_You look like you need to talk to someone and lucky for you so do I." Derek said taking the seat next to the girl. "I am Derek. I moved here from New York almost three weeks ago now. My job takes up most of my time so I haven't made any friends. What about you?" _

"_I am Meredith. I just moved back here from Boston. I start work tomorrow." She said taking a long slow sip. "Why do you need to talk?"_

"_Well I am angry and upset. My wife, hopefully soon to be ex, cheated on me with my best friend. You know in New York I have to be legally separated for six months before divorce. I moved here because I couldn't stand the looks I was getting from all our coworkers some taking pity others trying to date me. I left when Richard offered me a job at Seattle Grace Hospital."_

"_Richard Webber, the chief. You must be good at what you do. I am starting my internship there tomorrow. So are you like an attending or a resident."_

"_I am an attending. You are looking at the new head of neurology." Derek said quite proud of himself. "Lost a marriage and a best friend to get here not how I saw my life going when I took the vows. I thought it was forever."_

"_I am sorry about that. Your wife just let you move away without even trying to stop you." _

"_She didn't know my contract wasn't supposed to be up for another six months. I got special treatment. Who knew your wife cheating on you could be a good reason to legally break a contract. Well that and I might be too distracted to focus."_

_End of Flashback_

"Okay lets go with we met at a bar and became friends. Then I was here for you as Addison kept breaking your heart and you were here for me. Then eventually we just got together at the prom. You were divorced in February and then you started a relationship five months ago. Is that a good story?" Meredith asked trying to come up with a pretty good timeline.

"Sounds good okay other important details. When did we first kiss?" Meredith gives Derek a confused look. "Don't give me that look. My sisters will want to know every detail and you might tell them all something different or they might ask me. Plus coming up with details on the spot is hard."

"Okay the first time we kissed was after…um…okay I got it. We left the prom early and went to sit on your land by the lake. We were on the dock dangling are feet in the water and then you turned to me and we shared our first kiss."

"Was it a good kiss? I should know if you are my 'girlfriend' if you kiss well." Derek said with his voice slightly lower. Meredith blushed lightly when staring straight into Derek's eyes to answer the question.

"You might just find out in Colorado." Meredith said finally breaking the eye contact.

"Don't you mean I will? If we are living together for two weeks and supposed to be dating my family might expect us to kiss."

"Two weeks. How am I supposed to get out of work for two weeks? Even if I beg with everyone to switch shifts with me Bailey will notice and get mad after three days of me not working." Meredith said sounding disappointed she was really looking forward to going to Colorado with him.

"Well lucky for you there is a neurological disorders conference in Denver the first week. I signed us up to go in the Chief's office. I said I thought you would be interested because of your mom and I will be representing the neurological department of Seattle Grace." He said sounding very proud of himself.

"That takes care of one week. What about the other week. Are we actually going to go to the conference?" Meredith asked hoping he found a good excuse.

"We could go to the conference one of the days if you want. My other excuse is that my family just happens to be visiting there home in Winter Park, Colorado and they might be offended if I don't visit and they wanted to meet my best friend. If there is any trouble I am sure my family will make a generous donation to the hospital."

"Okay good. So now I need to pack. When are we leaving?" Meredith asked hoping it would be soon she was really stressed at her job and the recent break up with her boyfriend Finn and her mother wasn't getting any better.

"The plane takes off tomorrow at nine o'clock pm." She glares. "Don't look at me that way I don't get off until ten o'clock tomorrow morning you have more time to pack then I do."

"But you could have packed last night. I didn't know about this trip until this morning." Meredith said a little annoyed. "You could have called me last night or sooner."

"I just found out this morning before rounds. My mother booked my girlfriend and me tickets to Colorado the next night. After I told you I researched conferences and hospitals and found this one starting Friday and we are arriving on Thursday so I signed us up. The chief was happy we volunteered to go to the conference. Then I casually mentioned that my family was going to be in Winter Park the following week and wanted to meet the girl who saved me from hitting rock bottom. He approved when he saw the generous donation my family made to the hospital hours earlier."

"Wow so you had only a few minutes longer than I did to plan this trip." Meredith said surprised.

"Yeah I did. My family can be a bit pushy if they want something." Just then Meredith's pager goes off. "We will talk more on the plane about everything. I'll pick you up at your house tomorrow at six we have to be there early." After he finished talking Meredith throw away her trash and went to grab her patient's labs with a smile permanently engraved in her face knowing she had two weeks off.


	3. Nervous? Why would i be nervous?

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.

A/N I am sorry for not updating sooner. I was really really busy. My schedule is crazy. I have like an hour and a half of science homework a night on top of English usually half an hour and social studies and then I had to learn to knit for a project in this class that was supposed to be easy well not if you can't knit. Anyway here is an update that I have been slowly writing.

Another Authors note: Italics are thoughts. Just thought I would tell you.

* * *

Nervous? Why would I be nervous?

Meredith was pacing around her room. She kept putting things in her suitcase and taking them out. _Why did she care what she was wearing? She was only his pretend girlfriend and you don't have to impress your best friend._ Meredith was looking through her closet for her favorite black dress. _I probably just want to make an impression on his family. Yeah that is why I care. _

Izzie was watching Meredith walk back and forth with clothes in her hands.

"Mer, I thought you started packing two hours ago. Why don't you have anything in your bag yet?" Izzie asked taking a bite of her strawberry ice cream still in her pajamas.

"I did start two hours ago and I don't know what to bring. I mean our we just friends or our we more than that. I know we are pretending to date or whatever but how do I dress to look like a girlfriend without trying to impress him because I am not trying to impress him. We are just friends and I am just being a good friend he asked me to do this and I am going to do this." Meredith rambled on unsure of what she would need for the trip.

"You so want him." With that Izzie left the room leaving Mer to think about her and Derek's relationship status.

"I don't want him. I just broke up with my boyfriend. We are **just **friends." Meredith shouted a little too loud. George who was walking by just shook his head and kept walking saying something about how obvious it was.

Meredith kept trying to pack having not a clue what to bring. She never went on trips. The last time she went away that wasn't work or for family problems was when she went to Florida for spring break her senior year of college. She didn't have time to go away and certainly didn't have time to pack decent clothing. _Oh god how much clothes do I need? What is the weather forecast? Is he going to make me go skiing? I have never skied before. Are we going to go anywhere fancy? I have never been good at packing. I took all my clothes with me to college and wear half of them. I need someone to help me. I'll call Cristina._

Meredith found her cell phone on her bed buried under a bikini, scarf, and jeans. She quickly dialed Cristina's number. Meredith tapped her fingers on her dresser nervously waiting for Cristina to pick up in her emergent situation.

"Cristina, this better be important I was watching a good surgery." Cristina said not even caring who was on the other end of the phone.

"I have McDreamy problems." Meredith said sitting on her bed on top of a pile of clothes.

"Don't you always. Just screw him already and save the rest of us from your misery." Meredith sighed on the other end of the phone.

"It is not that simple. I need help packing for my trip with McDreamy. What do you bring when you are pretending to date someone for two weeks?" Meredith asked fidgeting with her bag.

"First of all stop fidgeting and start thinking."

"How did you know I was fidgeting?" Meredith asked standing up and ready to pack her bag with Cristina's assistance.

"I am Cristina I know everything. Besides when you are nervous you fidget it is one of your things." Meredith glared at the phone since she couldn't at Cristina. "I don't think you need clothes. We all know that you are going to screw McDreamy."

"What I am not. That is not going to happen. That is like saying Izzie and George will sleep together since I won't be home." Meredith said trying to convince herself that they aren't going to sleep together even though she wants to.

"You have a different type of relationship with enough chemistry to teach a high school of students. If even though I know you will can you sleep with him by Wednesday I have a bet on you."

"Hey, that is not nice. I am not going to sleep with him.'

"Keep telling yourself that. It will happen you just wait." Cristina smirked it was a good sign she was already getting flustered.

"Who is in on this bet?" Meredith asked getting slightly angry that they are betting on her love life.

"Oh just me, Evil Spawn, Izzie, Bambi, some nurses, Burke, and Mark, oh Addison too."

"That is like half of the hospital. Are they all betting that I will sleep with him?" Meredith asked not liking what her coworkers were thinking about her.

"Yeah except for Bambi, oh wait he changed his bet a little while ago so I guess everyone is betting against you. We know you to well."

"Let's get back to why I called I need help packing.'

"Fine I will be over in ten minutes. Burke's surgery is not that interesting and I do want to win the bet." Cristina said and Meredith just rolled her eyes. They bet on every aspect of her life since they met her and Derek's life. "See you soon.'

* * *

Exactly ten minutes later not a minute more or less Cristina arrived at Meredith's house. Meredith made no progress except for having every piece of clothing she owned on her bed or floor was a complete mess.

"What do you have so far?" Cristina asked surveying the mess in her bedroom. Meredith looked ready to give up.

"Um…well…I don't have anything packed yet. You see I have not packed since like college and then I ended up forgetting half the stuff I needed and went shopping." Meredith said looking at the mess in her room as well.

"Okay, you have a good start here." Cristina said and then went to her desk and turned on her laptop. "First you need to know the weather and if you are going to be able to go skiing or outdoors or something."

"I don't exactly know how to ski."

"So that is a perfect activity for a boyfriend to teach you." Cristina said smirking. "Look there is supposed to be perfect skiing conditions your whole trip. It will be cold."

"So do you think I should bring a skirt or dress?"

"Yeah bring that black dress you wore to the intern mixer you said McDreamy couldn't keep his eyes off of you right. And maybe a skirt or two incase you go to a couple of nice dinners. From what Burke told me the Shepherds have money and don't mind spending it."

"So I should bring my more expensive clothes. Great now I am going to have to bring stuff to do my hair if we go out."

"Relax I am sure you wont go out every night. Maybe you could say you want time alone with your boyfriend or something."

"What if they don't like me?" Meredith said getting worried and started throwing some of her designer jeans in her bag.

"It shouldn't matter since you not dating." Cristina smirked and Meredith just sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"I have to put up with them for two weeks. I want to at least get along with them." Cristina started handing her lingerie to put in her bag while she was talking so she wouldn't notice.

"Hey I don't need these. Derek and I are just friends." Meredith started to hand the thongs back to Cristina.

"You need them if you are going to wear those tight dress pants you packed and dresses." Under her breathe she whispered. "I also want to win the bet a lot of money is riding on it. I forgot to tell you that the whole surgical floor and beyond is in on it."

"What were you saying about the surgical floor?"

"Oh nothing just that the surgical floor will be boring with out you.'

"Thanks now help me pack. What else do I need?"

"Here pack these." Cristina handed Meredith several shirts, pants, jeans, skirts, two dresses not counting the black one, pajamas, socks, and a variety of shoes.

"Do I really need all this clothing? I mean I am only going to two weeks. How many times to they expect me to change my clothing."

"There will be snow on the ground and you will get wet and cold. You are going to go out to dinner and want to change. Oh don't forget these." She handed Meredith a black string bikini and a floral tankini. "You might want to go in a hot top or something."

"Why do I need two bathing suits it is the middle of winter.' Meredith asked desperate to keep her bags down. She already had two suit cases filled.

"One if you are with his family and one if his family is spying on you and you are playing the role of the girlfriend."

"Oh okay I guess. Is this everything I need?" Meredith asked surveying her room incase she missed anything.

"No I think it is everything you need clothes wise. Now on to makeup and hair supplies."

"What I am not bringing makeup with me. I never wear makeup I am not going to wear makeup to impress my fake boyfriends family."

"Do you want them to like you?" Cristina said and went to the bathroom to grab all of Meredith's makeup. "How come you never wear this or this or even this?"

"I don't have time in the morning to eat let alone put makeup on. It is for special occasions." Meredith lied she never even wore much makeup to special occasions.

"Well this is a special occasion you are going away with McDreamy pack it. Pack all of it."

* * *

Twenty minutes later they were done packing and sitting in the living room joined by Izzie and George. This was the last night Meredith would be home for two weeks and she was already missing them. They all had a good time trying to convince Meredith to sleep with McDreamy when they would win the bet. She just laughed it off and was determined to show them all wrong and win the bet herself.

They stayed up late talking and hanging out like they used to when they first started as interns. They all admitted they would miss her when she was gone even Cristina which made Meredith laugh. Even though she would be missing them she was looking forward to spending time with Derek and figuring out if he wanted a different kind of relationship with her like the one she wanted with him.

* * *

Authors Note: Again sorry for not updating sooner. The next update will be the plane ride. I will try to write it as soon as I can. I have to study for an English test and a science test so maybe this weekend but I do have a project due and want to update my other stories and my sister is visiting so I cant promise anything. 


	4. Let the games begin

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad.

Author Note: I was writing a short story for school and got inspired for the next update. This story is better and more fun to write so I stopped doing school work. It is a snow day so I shouldn't have to do homework. I don't have school tomorrow again. God I love snow so much. I know I was a horrible updater until today so I put off doing a lot of things to write another update.

* * *

Let the games begin

Derek Shepherd packed as much clothes as he possible could in the short amount of time he had before picking up Meredith and heading to the airport. He knew it was a safety precaution to be at the airport three hours early and have their luggage inspected but he was tired he was in surgery for the last five hours and had to pack really fast. The surgery had complications and ran long. He didn't get to leave the hospital until 11:30 and had to make it back to the trailer quickly they had to be at the airport at six o'clock. He still needed to pick up Meredith and make the 45 minute drive to the airport. Derek finished packing and had the trailer locked up by 1:17. He loaded his car with his three bags. On his way to Meredith's house he picked up subs at Quiznos for everyone knowing the airplane food would be horrible.

Derek, who was always welcome at Meredith's house, walks right in the front door. He hears Izzie, Cristina, and Meredith having a conversion in the kitchen. Alex, Burke, and George are in the family room watching a hockey game.

"I got food." Derek said getting the attention of everyone in the house.

"Thank God I knew Meredith was friends with you for a reason." Cristina said sarcastically. "They have no food in this house. I came here to say good bye to Meredith she is supposed to feed guests."

"It's good to see you Dr. Shepherd." Izzie said eyes glued to the bag in his hand like she hasn't seen food in ages.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Derek?" He says playfully with Izzie walking into the kitchen on his way in the kitchen he almost falls over Meredith's luggage. "Mer, how many bags are you bringing. My mother does have a state of the art laundry machine." He says jokingly before entering the kitchen.

"Cristina packed for me I just watched." Meredith shrugged and took the bag right out of Derek's hands. "Oh, you bought subs my favorite." By now George, Alex, and Burke join the girls and Derek in the kitchen to eat.

"I think I will miss Derek more than you Mer." Izzie said and Meredith has a fake angry face on. "Whenever he comes over he brings food you never have any food here."

"Hey you and George live here to." Meredith said setting the table for them to eat along with Derek. They always did things together. One time they were food shopping and an elder couple said they were the cutest young couple they have ever seen food shopping together.

As they are eating the fall into an easy conversion as usual for them. They all got along so well which was unusual for two attendings and five interns. When Derek was trying with Addison he would go over to Meredith's house and hang out with the group alone. No matter whom they were dating or married to it was only the seven of them when they hung out it just worked better.

"So Derek our great friends here and half the hospital are taking bets on us sleeping together." Meredith and Derek both laugh uneasily both wanting to but keeping up the friends' charade.

"So how much money is on this bet." Derek asked everyone just stared at something but Derek or Meredith not wanting to admit how much money was on the line. "That much huh. Well I hope one of you bet that we are not going to sleep together. We might be pretending to be a couple but we aren't one." The guilty looks on his friends' faces let him know they all thought they would sleep together and Derek knew in his gut they might too.

"You say that now Derek, but you will be alone with Meredith for two weeks a lot can change." Cristina said watching as Meredith couldn't meet Derek's eyes knowing it was just a matter of time before they slept together. "You are lucky I gave you till Wednesday Evil Spawn thinks you will be joining the mile high club today." Meredith and Derek both blushed pretending to be suddenly interested in the subs they were eating.

"First of all we will hardly be alone. My parents, four sister, their husbands, ten nieces, and five nephews will be there. And you think Meredith and I would jump each other in an airplane bathroom."

* * *

They finished up lunch and went to the family room to talk and hang out before Meredith and Derek would have to leave around 4 o'clock. They could laugh and jock about where they thought Meredith and Derek's relationship was going but they all knew deep down that they were made for each other. The few boyfriends Meredith had since they met her weren't exactly the best some were boring like Finn and then others were just weird or not very social. When they met Addison they knew that Derek and she weren't very happy or very compatible. Truth be told the friends didn't like either of their partners even before they met them they all just thought Meredith and Derek should be together.

* * *

They loaded up Derek's BMW's trunk and ran out of room for Meredith's entire luggage so they had to put some in the back seat. They all laughed at the amount of luggage Meredith would need for two weeks. Once they arrived at the airport at 5:37 they unloaded their bags and went to check in.

"This is pointless Derek what are we supposed to do for three hours. I hate these new flying restrictions." Meredith pouted Derek couldn't help but think she looked adorable.

"Well at least you know we will be safe." Derek said trying to look on the bright side of being stuck in an airport for so long.

"Yeah and the whole airport staff knows what I am going to be wearing for two weeks."

"Well it could have been worse. You could have brought things you would be embarrassed to be seen with.' Derek said this and Meredith blushed slightly.

"Yeah it could have been worse." Meredith said uncertainly thinking about the lingerie Cristina made her pack.

"So what are we going to do on the flight? Unless you want Alex to win the bet I don't think you want to have sex." Derek joked around with her. "I mean Cristina would probably kill you with the amount of money riding on the bet." Meredith just glared at him.

"I brought my knitting."

"Oh you're back to that again." Derek smirked and just shook his head.

"I never left it. Finn was nice and all but not really my type." Meredith just shrugged it off. "If you are good maybe you can get the sweater I am making."

"Thanks I will stick to store bought clothing."

"You're mean. I am a good knitter Izzie said so herself she always takes it and inspects it."

"Oh fine make me a sweater."

"Thank you I will."

* * *

"Now boarding flight 2742 to Denver, Colorado." The monotone of the announcer's voice stated.

"Well that is us. Come on Mer." Meredith gets up but can barely carry her carry on bag and is limping to the one side.

"What did you pack in there?" Derek asks her as he grabs the bag off her shoulder. "It feels like you took your whole bedroom in there." Derek just laughs while Meredith glares at him.

"Maybe I did. Cristina said I needed lots of stuff to do on the plane. I think she wants to win the bet and knows if we have alcohol she will lose." They arrive at the gate to the terminal and Derek hands over there carry-ons for the airport security to inspect before getting on the plane. They stop Derek before boarding.

"Excuse me sir." Said a tall plump man in his early thirties. "You cannot carry needles and drugs on a plane this is illegal." Meredith silently laughs at Derek but doesn't dare look at the man for fear he might hurt her if she did.

"I am a doctor. Actually we both are. I am Dr. Derek Shepherd head of Neurology at Seattle Grace Hospital and this is one of the doctors studying under me Dr. Meredith Grey who is practicing neurology. You see we are going to a medical conference and our Chief of Surgery always likes to have us prepared in case of emergency. So I brought my medical bag in case there is a slight medical emergency on the plane and we cannot land right away. I don't want the patient to have to be conscious if I have to crack their chest or something of that sort. There is also morphine in there so they won't have pain if any complex medical procedure is needed. I could show you my I.D. badge if you don't believe me." Derek said looking at the now bored security guard.

"I didn't need you life history you could have just said you are doctors attending a conference." The security guard let them board the plane.

They step on to the plane and walk to their seats that Derek's parents got them in first class. They are seated and virtually no one is on the flight. They start their usually flirty behavior and wait for the flight to begin.

"So Dr. Grey are you excited about going to a medical conference on why we should treat more neurological disorders with medicine instead of surgery." Derek smiled when he saw the look on Meredith's face.

"Is that how you got the chief to let us go last minute?"

"Maybe. He was going to make some poor resident go and sit through this conference. Chief was more than delighted when I volunteered us. He would have had to break the news to Dr. Peltries later that day. Some one has to represent Seattle Grace so they know we aren't just surgical hungry."

"What surgeon is going to want to go sit through a conference about not giving a patient surgery?" Meredith said thinking it was the dumbest idea of a conference she has every heard of. "If I was a patient I would want the surgery to fix the problem permantily not just a temporary fix with medication."

"I don't know. So I was thinking that we don't go to the conference more than a day. I don't think Webber thinks we will stay very long."

They sit silently on the plane for half an hour. Meredith is trying to knit but not making any progress and cannot figure out why. Derek is trying to do the cross word from the previous Sunday that he never got to but keeps cheating when he doesn't think Meredith is looking. She just smirks and goes back to knitting or in her case moving around the yarn. Meredith is trying to come up with a way to bring up the amount of affection they will show towards one another. She is getting nervous but is never going to admit that to anyone especially Cristina who right now would probably tell her to do McDreamy by Wednesday. Meredith starts playing around with the knitting needles and fidgeting Derek who is watching her out of the corner of his eye notices and grabs her hand.

"They are going to love you. Just relax and don't stress about it. It they loved Addison even after she cheated on me with Mark they definitely will love you. Mer you are something special don't ever second guess yourself. You are a wonderful person and if they don't love you that is there fault. You are already a great surgeon and you are going to be even better than you mom. When we operate on patients together it is always perfect even if there is complications we get through it together. I think we can become a surgery team together eventually and be some of the best." Derek said looking right into Meredith's eyes as he said this. They had formed a special connection some where along the line it went from friends who cared for one another to love he just couldn't place when. Maybe it was back when he thought he would lose her.

_Flashback:_

_Meredith's patient was an escaped convict. No one knew it at the time though. He was beaten up and bruised needing a spinal surgery. You couldn't see the face of the victim to make out characteristics of the patient. He said he fell off of a bike but Meredith didn't by it. Derek left Meredith alone with the patient when he got paged to the ER for an incoming 911. He had an uneasy feeling the patient just striked him as scary and dangerous. Meredith was checking the patient for other injuries and noticed a tattoo that was sent out in the report for an escaped convict. Her face must have given that she knew because the patient jumped out of the bed and lunged at her. He locked the door to the exam room and ripped the phone off the hook. He pulled a knife out of his pocket. He had just arrived and hadn't changed into a hospital gown when Derek was called off to a more important surgery. He had the knife up against Meredith's neck. This wasn't the first time she had a near death experience the last time happened nearly two months prior when her hand was on a bomb but this time it was more real she had a knife touching her neck. Meredith was beyond scared but she didn't feel like she was going to die so she tried to stay calm. She once was watching a crime show with Izzie on TV and the show stated to talk to the attacker to see you as a human being and not just who they want to hurt in some way._

"_I am Meredith. What is your name? I think we can skip last names since your arm is currently around my waist and you have a knife to my throat." _

"_Ah a funny one are we. You wouldn't make it very far in prison. Someone would beat the crap out of you the first day."_

"_You know you are going to get in a lot of trouble if you hurt me." Meredith said trying to scare him into letting her go but his stone cold stare didn't change. His grip on her body increased._

"_I am in the worst kind of trouble I am in prison for life. Now that I escaped I will probably be in solitary confinement, because of a bitch like you." The perpetrator's voice stayed the same solid deafly scary tone._

"_Oh but hurting me wont change the fact you are in jail." Meredith said praying for Derek to come back or a nurse to check up on the patient._

"_So it is fun. I cannot get in any more trouble." Meredith than realized this guy was a stone cold murder and she had no chance of talking him out of hurting her. He was going to do whatever he wanted. Meredith tried to wiggle out of his grasp but he held on tighter. He took the knife off of her neck and slashed her arm slightly._

"_If you don't shut the hell up I will do that to your throat and you won't be around to feel the pain." Meredith stilled in his arm. She could feel the tightness of his arms around her waist and knew she would have a bruise on her waist if she ever got out of his grasp. He threw Meredith to the bed in the room and went to the door to lock it. When he was preoccupied Meredith paged Derek 911 to the exam room. Walter, the criminal, slapped Meredith across the face when he saw her reach for something. "Don't even try to scream I will kill you faster than anyone can get here."_

_Derek ran up three flights of stairs trying to get to the exam room. He had a feeling that the victim would be Meredith not the guy he left in the bed before being paged to the ER. In the pit of his stomach he knew Meredith was in trouble. He was scared more than a friend or coworker would be. He felt like if she died he would die at the same moment. He had to help her now like she helped him so many nights. _

_Meredith was hit in the stomach and in the jaw. Walter had the knife pointed at her stomach. He lightly cut down her stomach vertically. Meredith bit her lip till she felt blood to keep from screaming. He was going to hurt her. Kill her even unless Derek got to him before he got to her. She knew Derek would save her. Even though he was married he was her knight in shining whatever. She laid patiently as Walter told her what he was going to do to her. _

_She heard the knob on the door jingle. Then she heard Derek's voice._

"_Are you okay in there Dr. Grey? I need you to open the door so I can see that you are safe." _

"_Tell him you are fine and to go away you can handle the patient." Walter whispered to Meredith she knew she needed to give him a clue without actually giving him a clue. 'It better sound convincing."_

"_Meredith if you don't answer me this door is going to come down." Derek said his worries evident in his voice. By now a crowd had gathered outside the exam room. People stopped and stared as they waited for an answer from Meredith. She knew how scared he was when he called her Meredith and noticed his voice struggling to stay the same tone almost as if he was going to start crying. In that moment she knew she felt something for him that she didn't feel for Finn or any of her boyfriends before._

"_Um…I am just checking out the patient's injuries Der…Dr. Shepherd." She decided to use there I am having a bad day or relationship code words. "You know the sky looks like hail and thunderstorms.' Meaning they were in trouble in a situation or relationship and they needed help fast. They always used it when the needed to be rescued for one reason or another._

"_Really I didn't notice." And then it clicked in Derek's head she was in danger. He didn't even wait for security he knocked the door down with his foot. Derek went behind Walter grabbing his wrists forcing him to drop the knife that he had on Meredith's lower left arm. Derek pinned the patient against the wall. He stood there for about three minutes until security got there._

_Derek ran over to Meredith as soon as security had Walter in hand cuffs. He hugged her and then took her to another exam room to stitch her up and make sure she was safe._

"_How did you know I would know you were in danger by using are phrase?" _

"_I just knew. I knew I wouldn't die today and then you saved me."_

_End of Flashback_

"So you are probably wondering how much affection we are going to show one another?" Derek asked Meredith and she looked back at him with disbelief in her eyes.

"I saved your life don't ask me how I know something I just do." Meredith just nodded her head. "I guess we can hold hands that isn't to hard but my family thinks it is this sign of a great relationship. We must likely wont have to worry about sleeping my mother has this rule if there is no rock on the finger to stare at there is know bed in the room to share. So we are good there. We can kiss on a couple of occasions I guess. Just pretend I am someone else."

"I don't have to do that you are my best friend, but don't tell Cristina." Derek and Meredith share a special smile they only show each other.

"We can have a clue word if you or I think it is a good time to kiss." Meredith nods her head and Derek tries to think of something. "How about lavender."

"Okay that can work." The smile and go back to there previous activities.

The rest of the plane ride goes smoothly and before they realize it the captain is giving them the weather and forecast for Denver. The uneasiness in Meredith's stomach goes away as they gently touch the ground.

* * *

Authors Note: Maybe more tomorrow I have to do some school work and maybe update another story. I am some what happy with this update. I started writing it and then I guess the flashback wrote itself. No school tomorrow so there could be an update. 


	5. Landing Zone

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

Author Note: Yeah Grey's Anatomy is on tonight. I should be writing my short story for school right now, which all I did was slightly change Grey's Anatomy so I might change it to a one chapter story when I am done. I had to do a project on coal that took a lot longer than I thought it would.

Landing Zone

Derek grabs their carry-ons from the over head compartment and takes Meredith's hand. She laces their fingers together and exits the plane. As they are walking through the terminal and into the main airport Meredith leans her body into Derek's body. She was still tired and not fully awake from the plane ride which she slept most of. To any onlooker they appear to be the perfect couple. They slow the pace of their footsteps as they near the gate. Meredith is anxiously waiting to meeting his family and see where he came from. Derek nervous hoping to be able to fool his parents into believing Meredith is more than a friend. Well she is to me but she might not feel that way about me Derek wonders to himself.

"You ready girlfriend." Derek said lightening the mood. He quickly squeezes Meredith's hand and steps out into the open. Meredith spots a woman who is about 5'5 with light brown slightly graying hair. Her eyes were what drew Meredith's attention. They were the same piercing blue as Derek's. Next to the older woman was a younger woman with bright blue eyes not the same intensity as Derek's but still full of depth in their own way. She was 5'7 Meredith estimated taller than her. She was very young from what Meredith could tell. Before Meredith could finish examining Derek's family they were standing right in front of them.

"Derek. It is about time I see my only son." His mother kisses him on both cheeks and hugs him tightly. "And this must be the perfect girlfriend you have been telling me about. Come here." Meredith is reluctant at first but his mother doesn't take no for an answer and hugs her quickly. The hug slightly awkward for Meredith but has a slight familiarity to it like Derek's friendly hugs. "Let me introduce myself I am Ellaina Shepherd. You can just call me Ella. You must be Meredith I have heard so much about you."

Upon further inspection of Ellaina Meredith noticed she had a delicate diamond bracelet on her wrist matching the diamond earrings, and necklace. Her jewelry cost a lot more money than most would make in a month. Her engagement ring had to be at least 14 carats. Meredith noticed her attention to it drawn the longest. Her gaze was broken when she heard a new babies cry coming from close by.

"Oh I see Claire has a healthy cry." Derek said looking down at the baby in his sister's arms. "This is my younger sister Sydney she is your age 28. That is her first child Claire she is the newest member of the Shepherd clan only three months old." The girl looked up and studied Meredith like she was a rare specimen. Meredith stood there awkwardly feeling uncomfortable. For once in her life she was glad she wasn't his real girlfriend or she might have been scared away.

"I have heard so much about you Meredith. I would shake your hand but they are a little busy holding Claire." Sydney looked like she would be the devil wearing only Prada but she seemed relatively nice to Meredith. Her blonde hair was curled perfectly and her body didn't have an ounce of fat on her. If she wasn't holding a three month old baby in her arms you wouldn't know she had recently given birth. "My husband James is over there talking about some foreign mergers you don't have to pretend to be interested in that I am not." Meredith just smiled and squeezed Derek's hand once again.

"We are waiting for Susan, Nancy, and Jenna to get her and then we will head to the cabin." Ella said walking over to have a seat near where James was previously talking on the phone.

"Mom where is dad." Derek asked slightly alarmed not seeing his father's presence.

'He is already at the cabin Derek relax. We all came to meet Meredith. You are the only thing he ever talks about dear." Meredith blushed along with Derek he didn't want her to know she was all he ever talked about.

"So Meredith we better get are bags before they sell all our clothing." Derek grabs Meredith's hand and quickly puts down their carry-ons. "We will be right back. Can you keep an eye on the carry-ons? Someone brought a lot of things and it is really heavy." Derek said pulling Meredith away before they even could agree.

"Your sister seems nice." Meredith said when they were far enough away to not be heard. "And your mom is too." Meredith says unsure if they really were. "You don't have to hold my hand anymore they cannot see us." Derek quickly drops Meredith's hand and continues walking next to her.

"Sydney is too wrapped up in herself to care much about liking or not liking you. Nancy, who you met, will be the hardest she is the oldest and likes to protect me. She also is still very close to Addison who the hell knows why. Then there is Susan and Jenna the identical twins but don't worry they don't look the same anymore. They will have to get to know you before they make an opinion about you. If one doesn't like you the other probably wont. They are going to want to go shopping or something with you they spend way to much time doing useless things like that." They reached the luggage conveyor belt and waited to get their luggage. Derek grabbed Meredith and his own luggage and started walking back to his family. "I could tell them to go easy on you."

"No you don't have to. I am just not used to a big, protective family. It's like the Walton's or the Brady Bunch." Derek grabbed Meredith's hand with the one that was not pulling their luggage. "What about their husbands and children. Are they going to be nice to me?" Meredith asked hoping to not have to deal with them at all the less people they have to fool the better.

"Well first of all we are not the Walton's or the Brady Bunch we are the Shepherd Herd. A couple of my teenaged nieces might want to get to know you but the little ones will keep to themselves. My brother in-laws they are great I personally don't know what my sisters see in them. They are going to be working the whole time and not even notice you are their." Derek pulled Meredith closer to him and grabbed the bag she was carrying on her arm. "Smile we are almost back to the herd."

"Okay good. I am not very good with kids. Oh look we are back already." James walked up to them and put his hand out to shake Meredith's.

"I am sorry couldn't introduce myself earlier. I am not going to be doing work this whole vacation one deal I had to finish. I am James Clark by the way Sydney's husband." Meredith shook his hand and smiled politely.

"Meredith Grey nice to meet you.'

They sit in the chairs another 15 minutes waiting for Nancy to come in from Boston she was due to come in 45 minutes after Meredith and Derek followed closely behind by Jenna and Susan they were coming in from South Carolina. The announcer's voice came over the intercom and stated that the flight from Boston was going to be late due to a small snow storm in New York that delayed take off half an hour. They decided to wait at Starbucks until the flight was closer. Derek walked ahead of Meredith with his brother in-law talking about business. Meredith kept glancing at Sydney through the corner of her eye.

"Pole dancing."

"I am sorry what." Meredith asked slightly confused by what Sydney was trying to tell her.

"You keep staring at my abdomen. I got my before baby shape back from pole dancing. You should try it. I increased my flexibility my sex life is better than before Claire."

"I'll keep that in mind." Meredith said lightly blushing and looked straight ahead.

"Yeah I think Derek would like it too." Meredith was slightly shocked that his younger sister talked about him like that but didn't say anything.

Meredith is more than greatful when they reached Starbucks three minutes later. She didn't want to talk about her and Derek's sex life or lack or sex life with anyone let alone his younger sister.

Derek offered to go buy the drinks for everyone when he noticed she looked a little anxious to get away from Sydney. He knew Sydney could be a little eccentric. All she ever talked about was yoga, massages, or getting her hair, nails, or make-up done. The truth is she has never in her life had a job. Right out of her all girls' college, which daddy paid for, she met James and they fell in love as she says. The truth is Derek has never seen them together for more than 10 minutes at a time. Sydney is always talking to or about her friends she has from the country club. Apparently it was the 'it' thing to have a baby this fall/winter. Like everything else Sydney has someone else raising Claire.

The line moved faster than Derek had anticipated and under ten minutes they were back at the table with Ella, Sydney, Claire, and James. James was surprisingly not on his phone, which shocked Derek he would usually be sitting at another table in a meeting with foreign investors.

Meredith sat down next to Derek and Sydney she causally moved closer to Derek earning a smile from Ella.

"Isn't that cute she cannot get enough of him." Derek and Meredith both laugh awkwardly along with his mother.

"So Meredith, why don't you tell us more about yourself?' James said while taking a sip of his coffee. "Whenever Derek talks about you it is just about how great you are."

"Well there isn't that much to tell. I am an only child raised mostly by nannies my mother the Great Ellis Grey was always busy with surgery. Now she has Alzheimer's. My family is Derek and my closest friends. I saw my father a couple of weeks ago he has a new family that I don't want to be part of. I went to Dartmouth. I have taken over my mother's money but I don't really spend any of it. I am an intern at Seattle Grace Hospital, where Derek works I am most interests in Neurology." His family seemed engrossed by her every word.

Before they could say anything the announcer said the Boston flight was ten minutes out. They quickly left Starbucks to get to the terminal to wait for Nancy. Meredith felt her stomach flip the last time Nancy was in Seattle she was the bitchy, noisy sister. Meredith moves closer to Derek and grabs his hand.

Out of the terminal comes Nancy dressed in Prada and Gucci. She had high heels on giving her legs the long, lean look making Meredith feel self conscious. Her dark brown hair was straight and perfectly in place. Each of her hands is holding a child's hand. On her left hand she has a small girl around the age of four and on her right side is a boy around the age of six. Her husband was holding another child around the age of two. She walks right up to Ella and hugs her.

"Mom it is so great to see you." She lets go of her mother and the kids hug her Ella. "So where is daddy?'

"He is at the cabin. How many of my kids am I going to have to tell this to?" Ella said shaking her head. She gestures to Meredith. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Nancy looks her up and down and then walks closer to her. "I am Nancy the oldest. This is my husband Bryan. He is holding our youngest Carly she is two years old. Those two over there are Madyline who is four and Talon who is six." Her children were all perfect looking. Madyline and Carly both had curly, light blonde hair and blue eyes. Talon had light brown hair and green eyes. They were all dressed as if they were going somewhere fancy not an airport.

"I am Meredith Grey…um…Derek's girlfriend." That was the first time Meredith called herself that to his family and it was weird to her. Derek squeezed her hand.

"Be nice Nance. She didn't do anything to you." Derek warned her knowing she could easily scare Meredith into the truth. He looks at her children. "What no hug for your favorite uncle?" Derek asks playfully earning a laugh from Madyline.

"Uncle Derek." She wraps her small arms around his neck as Derek picks her up and spins her around. "Who is your friend?"

"That is my girlfriend Meredith." Derek puts her down and she curiously looks up at Meredith before she talks to her.

"She won't bite Maddi." Derek said laughing at the little girl before whispering in her ear. "Unless I am a bad boy." She glares at him before turning to the small child.

"Hi I am Maddi." The little shakes Meredith's hand and stares at her face. "You are prettier than Aunt Addi." Meredith didn't say anything just stared right back at the girl who then left to join her mother sitting in the chairs.

"I think that was Maddi's way of saying she likes you Mer." Derek said and gently brushed her arm with his hand. The simple touch sent shivers down Meredith's spine.

The boy came up to Derek next he high fived him. "Uncle Derek, guess what? I learned to ride my bike all by myself I don't even need the training wheels like Maddi." Derek just chuckled at the little boy. The smile on his face revealed that one day he wanted to have a family of his own didn't go unnoticed by Meredith.

They get into a conversation about what baseball team is the best. Meredith goes and sits next to Sydney who is to busy talking to Nancy to notice that Meredith is texting someone on her phone.

-C

Call me now. I need to be saved.

-M

Meredith was desperate she needed Cristina to save her. Derek's family wasn't bad but she needed a minute for someone to talk some sense into her. Her phone beeps signaling someone is calling her. Meredith smiles and reaches in her bag to grab her phone. She picks it up and has the perfect excuse to walk away from the group.

"Der, I am just going to talk to Cristina. She is having boy problems." Meredith walks away towards the fountain in the middle of the airport.

"This better be worth me missing a surgery. And don't tell me you already screwed McDreamy if you know what is good for you." Cristina said sounding pissed off.

"You sound more miserable then I do at the moment. Please distract me. I don't like his family. They are all I am so happy and rich. Let's talk about are kids and feelings. I mean who does that crap besides The Camdens." Meredith said feeling better already by taking some of the annoyance away on Cristina.

"Burke doesn't want to have sex until you and McDreamy do. I mean why do we have to wait. We are in a real relationship not like you and McDreamy. I need to get laid." Meredith just laughs. "You left me with Bambi, Barbie, and Evil Spawn they are all happy today there is no dark and twisty person here."

"Ha that is funny. You know what his sister told me. I should take a pole dancing class. We should take it together it will improve your nonexistent sex life with Burke."

"Oh I don't even want to know how you got on that conversation."

In the back round Meredith hears Bailey yelling at Cristina. "That better be a patient's family or you are in the pit for the next week. Stupid interns talking on phones when there are lives to be saved."

"I better go I cannot waste my talents in the pit for the next week when the second best intern is on vacation."

Meredith walks back over to the group and notices Derek talking to Nancy and Sydney.

"I smelled some lavender over by the water fountain." She has one hand gently pushing into his chest her other hand on the side of his face. Her lips meet his and crash against them. The kiss is soft yet full of passion. Derek brings his hand over to her hip while the other goes through her hair. Meredith breaks the kiss before she wants more.

"So this better be Meredith or Derek will have a lot of explaining to do." The man that was previously holding Carly holds his hand out to shake Meredith's. "I am Bryan nice to meet you Meredith. I look forward to getting to know you." Meredith shook his hand he had a strong grip and looked her square in the eye. Meredith knew at that moment he would be the hardest to lie to.

"Meredith Grey I am Derek's girlfriend." She said it clearly as if it were true. "It is nice meeting you. It would be nice to get to know you better as well. Anyone who is related to my Der-bear I should know. He is just so great you know." Meredith smiles at her ability to come up with a cute nickname for Derek right on the spot.

"Yeah Der-bear is a great guy." Bryan just laughs and calls over to Derek. "Der-bear are you still going to be able to play poker this trip." Derek looks over at Meredith who slumps over as if she was trying to hide from him. Derek is blushing a shade of cherry.

"Mer baby when I get my hands on you, you'll have to beg for mercy I am not gonna stop tickling you. Or I might just reveal my nickname for you." Derek said totally bluffing he doesn't have a nickname for her just like until five minutes ago she didn't have one for him.

Ella looks at her watch on her wrist and stands up. "Alright people we have to be on the other side of the airport in ten minutes. We have to meet up with Susan and Jenna. Nancy, why don't you and Bryan go grabs your luggage we will keep an eye on the kids. Meet us at gate 12 as soon as your done." Nancy and Bryan leave to go grab their luggage. Everyone else follows Ella to the terminal. It starts getting busier in the airport. "Meredith, why don't you carry Carly? Derek you can grab Maddi she shouldn't be that heavy. Talon, get over here and hold grandma's hand. Kids these days never think they will get lost until they do." Meredith grabs the little girl and carries her through the crowd.

The sit by the gate watching people filter out. Meredith inches closer to Derek she is hoping they will be the normal sisters and not hate her.

"Derek, you have 11 more nieces and nephews right and two sister and two husbands I have to meet left right." Derek nods his head and kisses her fore head.

"Your hair smells like lavender." His lips crash with hers. This kiss is more passionate than the last one. Her hands clasp around his neck. His arms go around her waist pulling her closer.

"Excuse us Derek." Derek breaks the heated kiss with Meredith and turns to his sisters.

"Mer honey this is Jenna and Susan the twins I was telling you about." Meredith looks at them shocked by how similar they look. They have sea green eyes and brown wavy hair. They are tall and skinny yet muscular as if the go to a gym and work out. They look more like mothers than Nancy and Sydney. They both have on designer jeans but at least they are jeans and sweaters that aren't exactly dressed like Joan Clever but at least they weren't dressed like they belonged in a strip club.

"I'll go first. I am Jenna. This is my family Trent my husband is on his last phone call of the vacation. We are going to dedicate this whole trip to getting to know you." Meredith just smiles and knows now how happy they are that Derek found someone even if it is just a fake girlfriend. "Then there are my kids in order the oldest Brianna is fifteen, Katherine is thirteen, Hannah is ten, Conner is nine, Patrick is nine, and Lauren is five." She places her hand on her stomach causing Meredith to look down. "And last but not least we have either Kristen or Adam. We want a surprise for hopefully the last one. I am due in three months I am so excited." Meredith just smiles at her.

"Okay now that you met my twin you can meet me Susan. My family consists of Josh my husband of fifteen and a half years. Then there are children Liliana is fourteen, Kevin is twelve, Darren is nine, Sage is seven, and Megan is four. We are four months pregnant with Julie." She was smiling and just so happy.

"Wow the Shepherd herd is still actively growing. I am Meredith incase you didn't know."

They hear a shriek and see Nancy and Bryan running up to them. She hugs each one of her sisters. They start talking a mile a minute about who knows what. They are like the Stepford Wives Meredith thought to herself. All perfect and happy with tons of perfect healthy kids.

"We better get going guys. You can rent cars if you would like or some of you can ride with me." Ella Shepherd said starting to create order within the herd.

"Mer and I will rent a car. We might want to go out to a medical conference in Denver for a day or so. And I also want to show her the town by myself at least once.

"Derek you need to learn to share. You see Meredith every day we have never seen her before." Meredith just smiles politely at them and inches closer to Derek.

**Authors Note: I think all the updates will be long from now on. I am going to try and do every day as one chapter but they might end up as two chapters per day if I cannot write them fast enough.**


	6. Outside looking In

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

Outside Looking In

Derek and Meredith leave his family and head to rent a car. Derek knowing how his family likes to show off rents a BMW. As they get on the get on the high way Derek decides to strike up a conversation and see how she likes his family.

"So what do you think about the Shepherd herd?" Derek asked praying Meredith would be able to last another fourteen days. He knew his family could be a bit much.

"They seem nice. Do they all plan to get pregnant together? Oh, tell me about your dad too." Meredith said giving her pouted look that he couldn't resist.

"Yeah they all plan pregnancies together I don't know why. One time they asked Addison to get pregnant with them when Darren, Conner, and Patrick were born. She flipped out on me when we got home it was funny actually. As for my father well his name is Lorenzo Nicholas Shepherd III know his name you'll be expected to call him by that. From the day Addison met my father to the day we got divorced she had to call him by his first name when she addressed him.' Derek said laughing slightly.

"Are you and your dad close?" Meredith asked curious.

"He is not my dad he is my father. A dad is someone who cares. Someone who doesn't tell you that you're making a dumb choice for a career. He said that a doctor isn't a good career for me and I should be a business man like himself. He didn't even cry at my wedding he said twenty minutes before the service I was making a mistake. At the time I thought Addison was the love of my life but he didn't respect her. According to him women should stay home raising babies. He will probably just be in his office the whole time like he was for every childhood milestone I passed."

"What about your mother? Was she around?"

"Ah, she was different. Not your average mother. She was self centered. I think she cares more about us now than as children. My family was more like Mark's parents. He was my brother I never had. His family didn't have a lot of money. His mother Donna was great. She baked and cooked every night. His father taught me to play sports and believed in me. I was crushed just as much as he was when his mother died of cancer when we were sixteen. It was tough we started hanging out at my house. My father didn't approve of Mark always called him a pretty boy and said they never got far in life. We did everything together." Derek said his eyes slightly glazed over.

"I guess you understand what I went through as a child then."

"Yeah, I guess I do." Derek grabs Meredith's hand and they are lost in thought together.

"Are your sisters ever going to let me in?" Meredith noticed the tight bond they had as soon as they were all in the airport talking about god knows what.

"They might eventually. They were all each other had as kids so they were really close. Give them time to warm up to you. It took everyone but Nancy until I was engaged to Addison to get close to her."

"Oh I guess this will be an interesting visit."

"They always are. I love my family but they are a lot to deal with at times." Derek said staring straight ahead at the vast open road. "We are almost there."

"So where is there?" Meredith asked curious only knowing that they were in Colorado.

"Welcome to Winter Park, Colorado. Some of the best skiing you will ever experience." Derek smiled and turned into a private community. He stopped at the gate waiting to be let in.

**Authors Note: Not very long but I am starting the next update now. I finally finished my science project. I wanted to explain a little about his father before I introduced him in the next chapter. The next update will be a lot longer I think. It should be done by Tuesday hopefully.**


	7. I'm with you

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

* * *

I'm with You

They drive along the perfectly plowed road in the housing development even though it had just snowed an hour earlier. The snow on the lawns glistened perfectly. It was like driving down Wisteria Lane in the winter time which was the season it never had. Meredith just stared out the window as the houses went from big to mansion sized. She nervously wringed her hands together as they pulled into a long circular driveway.

"Well we are here. I can drive around the block if you want to. No one is here yet. My sisters are probably trying to get car seats and luggage in the car." Derek said as he grabbed her hand to still it.

"No it is now or never. I don't think we can hide out the whole week in a hotel room. It might be better to meet your father without other distractions." Derek smiled and let go of her hand. He gently slid out of the car and walked around to her side. He opened the door for her and helped her out.

"You ready to be my girlfriend again." Meredith just smiled as they made there way up the steps to the grand entrance of the house. The home stood tall and proud looking inviting. The front door intimidated Meredith at first as Derek easily slid the key in the lock. He pushed open the front door and they walked into the foyer. The entry way was two stories high painted in a rich red color that could make anyone want to take off their shoes and curl up by the fireplace. "You hear that?" Derek asked listening to the silence.

"No I don't hear anything." Meredith bit her bottom lip as she continued to look around.

"Exactly as soon as my sisters and their families arrive you won't hear that again." Derek led Meredith into the main gathering room. It had a huge stone fireplace and a big screen TV. The couches were cream colored and the room had a flowery scent.

"So should I meet your father now or later?" She asked with uncertainty and he started walking out a different arch way then they entered the room. The arch way led to a huge hallway which some would consider a room it was so wide. Derek knocked on a solid, mahogany wood door.

"Come in." The voice sounded warm and friendly not what Meredith would have thought Lorenzo Nicholas Shepherd III would have sounded like.

The entered the spacious office and took a seat in the brown leather wing back chairs waiting for further instructions. To Meredith it was like being in the principle's office once again. Lorenzo walked closer to them. Meredith saw his shoes first they were polished, shiny, black expensive looking shoes. Her eyes trailed upwards and noticed he was in an at least $3000 suit. He had a Rolex on his wrist that had to cost more than Meredith's whole outfit. Derek just stared him square in the eye. His shirt was perfectly pressed and face groomed. His blue eyes stared right at Derek. Meredith noticed he had graying brown hair that had a slight curl to it but was neatly in place. The silence was deafening until Lorenzo finally spoke.

"Derek and you must be Meredith Grey daughter of Ellis Grey I assume." Meredith simple nodded her head. "Really you are related to Ellis." His eyes glistened and he smiled gratefully. "She saved my life a couple years back with that Grey method. Thank her for me." Meredith just nodded her head again and gave a faint, shy smile.

"Derek, why couldn't you bring a girl like her home years ago? Instead you brought home a girl who was part of a family that we still actively hate." Derek just looked down at his hands and didn't address his father.

"So Meredith, how long have you and my son known each other?" Meredith stared into his eyes the same exact shade of intensifying blue.

"Derek and I met in a bar the night before I started at Seattle Grace. I was not having a good day and we talked he told me all about his situation back in New York."

"Well I taught him well I guess. I will let you get settled we are going out to La Rosa in Winter Park. It is a very classy restaurant so you might need time to get ready." Meredith and Derek got up to leave when Derek turned around and finally talked to his father.

"Where are we staying? Am I in a guest room or is Meredith?" Derek asked looking straight into his father's eyes.

"Don't be silly you two can share your room Derek. You aren't sixteen anymore." Derek nodded and grabbed Meredith's hand.

"Mer honey do you want me to grab the bags." She squeezed his hand and shook her head no.

"I'll help you I brought a lot of stuff and I don't even know where I am going so at least I will go for the walk. It was nice meeting you Mr. Shepherd."

"Please call me Nick know one calls me Mr. Shepherd I am not that old." Meredith just lightly laughed as Derek led her out of the office.

"Your father is really nice." Derek just looked at her like she was crazy.

* * *

"Der-bear where is my coat. I am sure I left it on this chair before we went to see your father." Meredith said looking around the room.

"Mimi might have taken it to the coat closest." Derek said walking into the same hallway that Nick's office was in. "I found it Mer."

"Who is Mimi? I should know Der-bear I am your girlfriend." Meredith just giggled at the look on Derek's face.

"I don't like to be called Der-bear find a better nickname please." Derek's eyes were pleading with Meredith.

"You just don't want your brother in-laws to pick on you for your nickname. And you didn't answer my other question."

"Impatient are we? Mimi is the house keeper. She travels with my family and has been with them since god knows when." Derek just shrugged as they came to the front door. "You might want to put your jacket on.'

Derek starts unloading the car. He puts all of the luggage on the ground as soon as he takes it out of the car. He locks the car up and starts grabbing bags. Two carry-ons, two suitcases on wheels, and three other bags later Derek was only able to take five steps. His face looked like he was in pain trying to lift everything. Meredith just laughs.

"Cowboy do you need any help?" Meredith asked as he neared the stairs.

"Why cowboy?" Derek asked with pure confusion written on his face.

"I had a thing for cowboys in college. I spent the summer before junior year in Texas. There was some hot guys working on ranches and riding bulls."

"I want to give you a nickname. How about sweet cheeks, or peaches, or your last choice pixie dust." Meredith just looked at him and laughed.

"First give me at least one bag." He hands her his carry-on the lightest weight bag. "And, where did you come up with those nicknames. I hate peaches, and no to sweet cheeks, and why pixie dust."

"I know about your tattoo. Actually I think the whole hospital knows Alex told everyone. I never pegged you for a tattoo girl by the way."

"I am not but my tattoo is a butterfly.' Meredith blushed trying to think about what she might have told her friends.

"Yeah I know and it has little dots of dust leading to a wand in a fairies hand." He lightly traced his hand around her body starting at her back where the butterfly is. "This is the butterfly and then it travels lightly down your hip, which according to you no one has noticed unless you look at it closely. That means the fairy is here." His hand lands slightly to left of the button on her jeans and an inch lower.

"You are right. To bad you won't get to see it."

"We'll see about that." Derek just smirked as Meredith turned a deep shade of red.

* * *

After Derek almost falling down the grand steps to the second floor of the home and Meredith constantly nagging him to let her take a bag mixed with her laughing over him struggling up the steps them made it to their room.

Meredith opened the door and didn't see what she had expected. The room was done in neutrals. The big king sized bed had a down comforter with a brown cover on it. The blankets were pulled down perfectly which made the bed look even more inviting. The carpet was a soft, stain resistant, tan Berber that made Meredith want to walk around barefoot. The bedroom had a sitting corner with a book shelf containing classic American literature along with a fireplace for extra cold nights. The brown cashmere blanket draped over the love seat looked comfortable for long nights wrapped up together. Meredith smiled and took in the scenery.

"One bed," Meredith said nodding her head. "It should work its not like it is a twin bed or we will be naked.' Derek just gave her the McDreamy look.

"We are dating. Most people who are dating don't mind sleeping in the same bed together especially when the boyfriend's father gratefully let them share a bedroom." Meredith grabbed one of the decorative pillows off the bed and threw it at him.

"Play nice Mer." He winked and walked away from her to the bags he threw near the door to the bedroom.

Derek put their bags in the spacious walk in closest that was bigger than Meredith's bedroom in Seattle. She waited for Derek and sat on the bed jumped up and down a little and smiled satisfied that the bed would be comfortable. Derek came out of the closest.

"Pixie dust," Meredith blushed and looked down the intensity of his eyes would be to much for her, "what do want to do now? We still have time before dinner."

Derek walked closer to Meredith and sat on the bed next to Meredith. Meredith couldn't take it any longer and lightly pushed him back on the bed with her hand. She kissed him but this kiss was better than the ones they shared in the airport containing more of passion it was real not planed. Derek was caught by surprise but quickly started kissing her as well. His hands traveled up and down her sides. Meredith to lost in pleasure to think correctly opened her mouth to allow Derek's tongue. Her hands found his hair and ran her finger through it as he pulled her on top of him.

"Derek, we are here where are you guys.' The voice of his mother caused Meredith to jump off of him and ran into the bathroom to avoid an awkward conversation. Derek left the room giving Meredith some time to her self and walked down the stair to go help his brother in-laws with the luggage.

**

* * *

Authors Note: Yeah I didn't have any homework and was able to finish writing this update. I wasn't originally going to stop writing there but I thought that was an important enough scene to end the update on.**


	8. Almost Impossible to Resist

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

Almost Impossible to Resist

"What did I do? What did I do?' Meredith silently chants to herself in the locked bathroom. She was doing what she does best avoiding. Meredith heard Derek walk out of the room down the stairs to help his family. She knew she had to show her face in a few minutes but wasn't sure she could face Derek yet. Meredith felt around her jeans for her cell phone and decided to call Cristina.

"You better not be calling to tell me I lost the bet." Cristina said with her usual sarcastic tone.

"No, its just I kissed him. What am I supposed to do now?" Meredith asked the desperation creeping into her voice.

"Aren't you playing the role of the girlfriend? I kiss Burke we are dating. Besides your supposed to make it look believable or you might just look like a friend and not the girlfriend."

"We were alone in the bedroom on the bed. I don't know what would have happened if his mother hadn't yelled that they were home. I did the only thing I could do. I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in. What do I do now?" Meredith was pacing in the fairly large bathroom. The sunken tub was big enough for two people and had candle sticks placed around periodically. Two people could also fit into the shower which had a clear, glass door it looked inviting.

"Well for starters keep your legs closed unless you want me to lose the bet."

"I thought you had until Wednesday to win."

"Yeah, more people joined. Burke placed it in the staff room and all these surgeons and nurses signed up so I have Wednesday and only Wednesday but if I win it is a lot of money."

"I am glad you think my sex life is as amusing as a horse race." Meredith half laughed and just shook her head.

"I got to go. I am meeting Izzie and Evil Spawn at Joes."

"Drink tequila for me." Meredith half pleaded half laughed.

"Oh I am sure I am going to need it. Have fun and keep your pants on till Wednesday." Cristina hung up the phone leaving Meredith with a smile on her face something only Cristina could do.

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Meredith descended the back stairs and ended up in the kitchen. Jenna and Susan were sitting around the island drinking coffee having a discussion about what color to repaint the bathroom in Jenna's house Meredith just walked into the room hoping to be unnoticed.

"Have you seen Derek?" Meredith asked biting her bottom lip trying to remain on a friendly basis with his sisters.

"Oh, Mary he was in the play room with the children." Jenna said with a faint smirk on her face.

"Mary, what color is your bathroom?" Susan asked hoping to gain more information about the girl who put a smile on their brother's face.

'Um…it's a…tan I think." Meredith said not really knowing she had better things to do then think about what color her bathroom is.

'Derek might know he has a thing for bathrooms and tubs." Jenna commented smiling slightly.

"Oh, he has never seen my bathroom. He uses the hall bathroom along with my roommates. I hate having to share a bathroom. That would explain the tub in his bathroom here though." Jenna and Susan nodded their heads and sipped their coffee.

"So Mary, are you and Derek going to go to dinner with us?" Meredith nodded her head and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Um…yeah Nick mentioned it."

"Really he must like you" Jenna said nodding her head along with Susan.

"Yeah, I guess he does. I am going to go find Derek." Meredith didn't even bother to comment that they got her name wrong. She found the play room by following the noise level of the children.

Meredith entered the play room which looked like Toys R'Us exploded into. Every toy from hot wheels to Barbie dolls was in the room. She smiled when she saw Derek playing with Lauren and Megan. He was Ken and they were the Barbie dolls.

"Hey cowboy." She whispered close to his ear. She kissed him on the cheek trying to act like their last encounter hadn't affected their friendly, good natured friendship. Nancy, who was in the room, looked up in interest when Meredith approached Derek.

Nancy, who wanted to find out what information her sisters got from Meredith and to see how she reacted to kids, hands Carly her two year old daughter to Meredith.

"Mary, can you be a doll and watch her please." Meredith looked up half frightened and half annoyed.

"I guess I am not that good with kids though. I have never been around any unless they were patients." Nancy just handed her Carly anyway. Derek was too wrapped up in the Barbie dolls to notice what was going on.

Meredith had Carly in her lap when Nancy left. She looked at the girl intently. "What do you want to play Carly?' Meredith asked hoping she wasn't going to have to play dolls like Derek she was a surgeon for crying out loud.

"Dolls." Meredith wanted to laugh she was going to be playing with someone who could only form one worded answers.

"Okay if you want to." The little girl nodded her untamed curls and walked over to the dolls. She handed a baby dressed in pink to Meredith and took one just in purple for herself.

"Play." Meredith just stared at her and held the doll up. Derek, who finally looked up, just laughed at Meredith and shook his head.

Ten minutes later Derek and Meredith were saved from the children to go get ready for the family dinner. Derek held Meredith's hand, which seemed to fit perfectly, as they walked up the stairs away from his family. Once inside the room Meredith was determined to not talk about the kiss.

"Derek, can you tell your sisters that my name is Meredith." Derek, who was deciding between his red shirt and a blue one, looked up.

"What are they calling you?" He had a feeling but wasn't going to come out and say it unless he was sure.

"Mary, who is she by the way." Meredith said looking puzzled.

"Virgin Mary, they are calling you that because you are not open with your sex life. They called Addison Mary until the day after our wedding. She hated it but would never discuss our private life." Derek said and shrugged Meredith kind of looked embarrassed.

"Oh, well make stuff up I don't want to be called Mary anymore it is not true." Meredith pouted and Derek couldn't help but feel his rough exterior towards the situation start to soften.

"What do you want me to say? Mer and I have a great sex life. We do it in the kitchen on the counter you know these counters look nice we should give it a try." Meredith just giggled and walked towards the closest.

"I am going to get ready in the bathroom. Knock before you enter." She turned around and power walked back to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later Derek was going into the bathroom to put on some cologne and forgot Meredith was in there, he entered the room and didn't see Meredith in the shower. Derek decides he doesn't want to look scruffy so he starts shaving his face lightly humming to his Ipod.

Meredith, who didn't notice Derek's presence, turns off the water to the shower. She turns around about to open the shower door the exact same time Derek turns to leave the room.

"Oh my fucking God! Were you in here the whole time?" Meredith asks trying to cover herself with her hands the best she could. Derek keeps staring up and down her body.

"I didn't know you were in the shower. I am sorry but now I know what the tattoo looks like first hand." Meredith, blushed a deep shade of cherry red, pointed for Derek to leave the bathroom. "Alright I am going but you shouldn't be embarrassed you have a nice body. Like the belly button ring by the way."

"Get out now." Derek just chuckled ducking from the hand towel she through at him.

Meredith and Derek both finished getting ready for the dinner without bringing up the incident. Meredith wore her black dress that night and Derek went with his good looking red shirt and black dress pants. Meredith put just enough makeup on to look natural. Her hair was put up with just a few strands towards the front hanging down that were curled. Derek, who hasn't seen her dressed up since the prom, was speechless.

"You ready to go downstairs." He finally managed to chock out grabbing her arm to lead her to the door.

Derek was staring at Meredith the entire way down the stairs.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what." Derek asked trying to play the innocent card.

"Like you've seen me naked." Meredith said giving him a sexy smile.

"Oh, but I have seen you naked. You look good naked. You should walk around naked." Meredith just shook her head and said something about men as they waited for his family in the foyer.

**Authors Note: I might be able to update tomorrow or Thursday depends on how much homework I have and what else I have to do tomorrow. The next update will be the dinner. **


	9. They Hate Me

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

They Hate Me

Meredith and Derek were patiently waiting in the foyer for his family to be ready. They waited for ten minutes when Sydney, James, and Claire joined them. Meredith didn't want to be called Virgin Mary decided it was time to prove she wasn't.

'Derek," Derek's head looks up from his previous position, "Do you know where my lavender scarf is? I could have sworn I brought it with me." Derek looked puzzled at first because he knew she didn't own a lavender scarf then it hit him and he played along.

"We'll just have to buy you a new one I don't know where it is." Meredith smiled and grabbed Derek's collar.

"I'll just have to give you a proper thank you." Sydney was staring at Meredith. Meredith crashed her lips against Derek's. She thought there might be some awkwardness after kissing him for real before but there wasn't. Derek pulled her small body closer to his and ran his fingers along her neck. He continued kissing her and soon their tongues entered each other mouths. Meredith's hands went up the back of Derek's shirt. By this point Meredith knew she was no longer pretending to be Derek's girlfriend but kissing him because she wanted to. The kiss was filled with passion, lust, and heat. Sydney and James just stood and watched them like they were making history.

Nancy entered the room with her three perfect children following her like ducks. She had Maddi and Carly dressed identical, which Cristina would have laughed at, and Talon wearing a sweater vest that that the same print as his sisters' dresses.

"There are children in the room that are not old enough to learn how to make babies. If you want to continue what you are doing please keep it away from my untainted children's eyes." She glared at Meredith, who in turn smirked and silently laughed at Nancy's children.

Meredith grabbed Derek's hand and pulled him into the family room. The door was slightly ajar when they first entered so Meredith kissed Derek as they were walking towards the couch. Derek grabs Meredith's ass and hoists her up. She responded by wrapping her legs around his waist still enjoying the feeling of his tender tongue lightly massaging hers. They fell back on the couch.

"Is the door closed?' Derek asked as he lightly slid his hands up and down Meredith's body not realizing the awkward position they were in was having an affect on her as she bit her lip to keep from moaning. Meredith looked as if she was staining her head when she partially nodded. Derek sat up and pulled Meredith by the hand up with him so that they were sitting on the couch staring at each other. "I am sorry if I put you in an awkward position." Meredith lightly smiled at him with a rosy complexion on her cheeks.

"I don't blame you I actually started it." Derek nodded his head and stared at his hands. They fell into awkward silence thinking about the kiss they shared in the bedroom hours before. They were both too stubborn to talk about it so they ignored it all together but found themselves consumed in their thoughts. Their usual easy going constant flirting had ceased to exist.

Five minutes go by and not a word is uttered between the two of them. The silence finally becomes too much for Meredith and decides to break the ice.

"Is there anything I should know before the dinner?" Meredith didn't make eye contact she knew she would lose the fine line of self control she was sitting on. Derek pondered for a second before he looked towards the fire place with a distant look on his face.

"You don't want to bring up Mark or Addison. Politics and sex are not dinner topics to controversial my mother always says." He shrugged his shoulders trying to jog his brain of anything important he might have forgotten. "I think that is it. If you want to leave or you need a break just say you need some air and we can go for a walk on this elegant trail near the restaurant or leave." Meredith politely smiled and gently grabbed his hand.

"I am nervous if they don't like me this could be a long two weeks."

"I'll talk to my sisters if they are being mean to you. I am you knight in shining whatever." Meredith just giggled her contagious giggle and Derek laughed with her. When they stopped laughing they heard footsteps getting closer to the door Meredith and Derek both instinctively lay back on the couch. Once they heard the door open Derek kissed Meredith again. Her hands went to his back while his lips found her neck.

"Uncle Derek," Derek and Meredith both stopped when they heard the voice of his niece who was sent to get them.

"Yeah, Tater Tot." Derek smiled slowly rising off of Meredith.

"I am fifteen Uncle Derek call me Brie or Brianna. Aunt Nancy said to tell you to put your pants on and come join the family." Derek and Meredith blushed a shade of crimson. Derek pulled Meredith up and off the couch he kept his hand firmly locked with hers as they walked towards Brianna.

"Are you a doctor too, Meredith?" Brianna asked shyly and almost sounding hopeful.

'Yes, I am an intern. I work with Derek that is how we became friends." Brianna nodded and looked at her hands before speaking.

"Could I talk to you about something later?" Meredith noticed she looked scared and ashamed so she simple nodded her head as the three of them walked out of the room.

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A sleek black limousine was waiting in the Shepherds' circular driveway.

"Derek, can we go in our own car? Please." Meredith gave Derek her puppy dog face that she knew made him give in instantly.

"My parents won't let us. You will only have to sit with my sisters. They aren't that bad." Meredith gave him a look like yeah right.

"Your mother and sisters hate me." Derek shook his head no he then grabbed Meredith's hand and walked down the steps towards the limo. "They are probably in there chiseling my head stone! I am not good enough for them Derek not one of them has said anything nice to me or made me feel welcome. Does it look like I go around painting bathrooms in my spare time?"

"Well…no but that is how they are. They are trying." Meredith and Derek slide in the limo earning a displeasing look from his sisters. Meredith looks clueless until Nancy speaks.

"Ladies do not slide, Meredith." Derek gribs her hand knowing it will be a long two weeks. Meredith notices everyone is looking at her as if they were inspecting her she just nervously smiles knowing they are going to say something.

"Meredith you know plastic surgeons do excellent boob jobs these days you wouldn't even know they were fake." Sydney said as Derek's jaw drops down to his feet shocked to see his sister say that to his 'girlfriend' Meredith just looked them straight in the eye not saying anything. James, Sydney's husband, sinks in his seat clearly embarrassed at what his wife said she always speaks without thinking something Derek grew accustom to.

"I am fine with the way my body looks and I haven't heard Derek complain yet far from it actually." Meredith said with a smug smile on her face and sunk back into Derek's awaiting arms.

"So Meredith, how often do you go to the gym?" Jenna asks her checking out her slim figure.

"I don't." Meredith thought she was talking to a bunch of Martha Stewart modern day housewives.

"Surely you must exercise at home or run?' Susan asks her both wondering how she stays so skinny."

"I do Yoga when I can to keep up my flexibility and it is good to relieve stress." Nancy tapped her manicured hands on her thigh pondering what to say next.

"What exactly is flexibility good for? It is not like you are looking after kids or picking up after them." Meredith wanted to laugh these girls acted like being a doctor was easy.

"Okay new conversation. So Jenna, are you and Trent going to move to Seattle like you wanted to?" Meredith went pale she knew she wouldn't survive even as his friend if his family lived on the same side of the country as her.

"We are going out in May to look at houses. I think it will be nice for the kids to have Uncle Derek in their life. Then maybe mom will come and visit more since your trailer isn't very inviting." Meredith just smiled through this and looked out the window realizing they just pulled up outside a fancy looking restaurant. They stepped out of the car as Meredith thought here goes nothing.

**This will probably be the last update until Wednesday or Thursday I have to write a 7 page paper for Tuesday. **


	10. End of night one

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

The end of night one

Walking into the restaurant Meredith noticed right away it was Italian looked very expensive. On the outside you would think you were eating somewhere that was all candles and quiet dinning but on the inside there was a boat ride and cute little shops. The dinning area was down a grand set of steps. The people in the restaurant looked as if they were enjoying themselves but than again they weren't dinning with the Shepherds. A hostess came right up to them and addressed Nick.

"Nicholas Lorenzo Shepherd party of 27, it is good to see you again Mr. Shepherd and Dr. Shepherd." Upon addressing Derek the hostesses blushed causing Meredith to get jealous knowing other women would look at him and after this trip he could find a girlfriend. Nick nodded his head and indicated they would follow the hostess.

They were seated in the middle of the restaurant at two tables one for the children and one for the adults. Meredith and Derek sat across from Nancy and Bryan, her husband, to their right was Sydney and James, on their left was Jenna and Trent, and next to Nancy were Susan and Josh. The topic of interest at the table was not what they were having but Derek and Meredith's relationship.

"So Meredith, have you thought about when the wedding was going to be?" Susan came right out and said Meredith looked slightly flustered so Derek decided to answer.

"We aren't even engaged. Guys we are taking our time dating getting to know each other from the beginning I don't want any surprises if we get married so let's drop the talk of marriage." His sisters seemed to listen to him and didn't push the topic knowing the tough divorce and marriage he had with Addison.

"When do you guys think we should get pregnant again?" Nancy asked her sister. "I am thinking seven months after Julie is born. Do you think you can handle that Susan?" Susan nods her head they all are agreeing to this Meredith is just glad the conversation is off of her at the moment. "Meredith, would you like to get pregnant with us?" Meredith almost spits her red wine she was sipping on out at Nancy.

"Umm…I don't think I am ready for kids yet. Maybe in four or five years from now I will be ready." Susan and Jenna look at her disapprovingly. Before they could say anything the waitress comes to take their order but Ellaina ordered the food for them which irritated Meredith. Derek smiled through gritted teeth before addressing his father at the head of the table.

"So dad, how is business going?" Derek knew his father liked to talk and none of his sisters dared to talk while his father was talking.

"It is going great son. I was thinking of taking the family to Europe in the summer for a month. Maybe you and Meredith could come and perform surgeries on the needy."

"What needy are there in the sections of the countries we are going to travel in?" Meredith just smiled at Derek who was yet again trying to get out of a family affair.

"Plenty of people need your talents and I think it would do you good to get away for a while in the summer. Wont Meredith be resident by then?" Derek and Meredith nodded their heads.

"Will Meredith still be around come the summer time?" Nancy directed the question at her father.

"I think Meredith is the one for Derek. They are so in love they cannot keep the happiness to themselves." Meredith slid her hand into Derek's and clasped it. She offered his sisters a smug smile and turned to Derek.

"Cowboy, would you like to take me for a ride?"

"What?" Derek looked at her flustered and embarrassed.

"On the little boat thing take your mind out of the gutter until tonight." Derek jumped up quickly and helped Meredith out of her chair.

"We'll be back before dinner is served.' Derek took Meredith's hand and led them over to where the boat ride was located in the restaurant.

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Once Derek and Meredith were far enough away Nick looked at his remaining four children with disgust. They all looked guiltily up at him.

"I don't not want to hear another word directed towards Meredith that is anything but nice. Do you really want to scare off Derek's girlfriend and have him sulking over his crushed marriage?" None of Derek's sisters dared to retort an answer they just all shook their heads and looked down knowing they were being unfair.

"While she is with us she is a member of this family and if you don't make her feel welcome you will have to leave. She has a stressful job outside of this trip and she is making Derek smile for the first time in years. He hasn't genuinely smiled since his seventh anniversary and you know it."

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Derek and Meredith got on the boat. It was rowed at a slow peaceful pace and soft jazz music could be heard as they traveled. The walls were painted to look like they were in Italy. Meredith was sitting on the small boat flush against Derek's body. Her head lay on his shoulder as he pointed out things in the pictures and told her stories about traveling to Italy as a child to visit his Nana Emiliana and Papi Giovanni. She learned that his grandparents were born in Italy and lived there until they were 25 and came to America and had children after there three children married they moved back to Italy. Meredith and Derek didn't get off the boat when they came back into the view of the restaurant but instead they stayed on to ride around again.

"I have never been to Italy. Maybe I will still pretend to date you so I can get a free trip to Italy." Meredith giggled a little. "Well only if your grandparents aren't like your sisters." Derek smiled and held onto her hand.

"Have you ever been to Europe?" Derek asked leaning his head on top of her head both relaxing and enjoying there time alone away from their friends, patients, and his family.

"I attended a Swiss boarding school for two years before I had enough of there dumb rules than I went back to America. Then I went to England when my mother tried to force me to go to medical school." Meredith stated shocking Derek he would have never guessed she of all people didn't want to be a doctor. She was one of the best interns he ever worked with.

"You didn't want to go to medical school."

"All my life my mother told me I wasn't good enough and then suddenly when I graduate Dartmouth, top of my class, my mother expects me to go to medical school after 21 years of telling I will never amount to anything. I applied to several medical schools but I didn't tell her. She kept bothering me so I fled to Europe for two months. I really wanted to be a lawyer but she wouldn't let me do anything else. I caved and did as she said." Meredith feels more connected to Derek at that moment than she ever was. She never told anyone about not wanting to be a doctor or fleeing to Europe.

"What about now? Do you still want to be a lawyer?" Meredith shook her head and snuggled into Derek's arms.

"I love being a doctor I just couldn't see myself being a doctor when from the time I could read my mother said I would never become one. That I don't work hard enough and I give up to easily." Derek wrapped his arms around her and pulled her so close she was almost sitting in his lap. "I am glad I finally told someone."

"I am glad it was me you told." The boat comes to a stop and they are in front of the restaurant again. "We better go the food will be there soon and then we can leave."

"Do we have to? We can share more of our lives to each other. Please Cowboy!'

"Don't even try to give me the puppy dog face you know I cannot resist and we have to go and pretend we like them?" Derek pulled Meredith up and out of the boat and started walking over towards the table.

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When they got back to the table everyone looked up and was smiling at them. Meredith politely smiled back and took her seat. As soon as they sat down five waiters came to their table with green soup.

"Derek, what kind of soup is this?" Meredith whispered making a face at the soup.

"I don't know just eat it.' Meredith bravely put her spoon into the dish and took a little soup onto her spoon. She tasted it and did not like it. She looked at Derek who was chocking down his soup. "I don't like it." She whispered through gritted teeth.

"Meredith, you barely touched your soup don't you like it?" Ella asked her from the opposite end of the table.

"It is very good from the spoon full I've tried. I just don't want to burn my mouth and I want to make it last." Meredith was rambling on and on trying to convince Ella that she liked the soup that the others seemed to be enjoying. "May I ask what type of soup it is?"

"It is rabbit and pea soup. Don't worry if you finish it there is plenty where that came from. I had them make it special for me even though it isn't Italian."

"Too bad I won't be able to find this in Seattle."

"Don't worry dear I will have them send some to you every month." Meredith just smiled at her in response not being able to come up with a good reason. She looked over at Derek and noticed he had some missing in his bowl when no one was looking including Derek she switched the bowls.

"I won't ask what the next course is." Meredith whispered to Derek who just smiled.

"I thought I ate more than this." Derek said frowning at the bowl. "It just keeps growing."

"Don't you like it Derek?" Derek lightly shook his head no.

"Maybe you can say you aren't feeling well. We can go and eat fast food." Meredith wanted to torture Derek with another course so she shook her head no. The conversation at the dinner table drifted to raising kids and how parents should be more involved. Meredith and Derek didn't have anything to contribute so they sat back quietly at the table. Five minutes of them not talking to each other the waitresses brought out duck and pasta in a pesto sauce bringing conversation to them about how to make a quick exit.

"Umm…Derek I am not feeling so well maybe we could go home so I can sleep." Derek looked at her with fake concern.

'Is it your stomach again pixie dust. The last time you were sick only laying down for a bit helped maybe we should go so you can rest."

"Yeah I think that would be best, but please don't let this disrupt your dinner." Meredith gets up from her chair cautiously to make it look like she is in pain and leans on Derek for support as they leave.

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Meredith and Derek made a quick exit and went to Burger King to eat before going back to his house.

"That food was gross even to me and I am a health nut according to you." Derek and Meredith both are laughing.

"Did she expect your nieces and nephews to eat that food? It was so gross tasting and looking. Give me a sip of your milkshake." Meredith reached over and took it from him before he responded.

"Hey that was mine. Anyway I think we should talk about earlier while were alone." Meredith looks at Derek and knows that they have to talk. Derek is nervously tapping his fingers on the table while Meredith is staring intently at her French fries.

"It was just us practicing so we could fool your family into thinking we are together.' Derek nods his head pursing his lips together.

"That is what I thought it was too." Both Meredith and Derek are upset hoping that it meant something more but not voicing their concerns.

'We are just friends. You are just doing me a favor." Meredith gets up and goes to throw the trash away thinking about what he is saying and knowing they both want to be more than just friends but both of them are too afraid and stubborn to change the dynamic of there friendship.

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Meredith and Derek arrive back at the house and the family isn't there yet. They go right up to their bedroom.

"Derek, I am going to take a bath." Meredith said looking through her suitcase for lavender bubble bath.

"Oh, I will join you."

"In your dreams Dr. Shepherd." Derek just smirked at her.

"You always are and you love it when I take a bath with you." Meredith blushed lightly before escaping to the bathroom and locking the door.

Meredith took out her cell phone and dialed Cristina's number.

"Yang," Cristina said Meredith could her back round noises and figured she was at Joe's.

"Cristina, I need your help." Cristina looks over at Alex, Izzie, and George and mouths that Meredith needs help.

"What did you do now?" Meredith is pacing the length of the bathroom.

"I want McDreamy."

"Tell me something I don't know." Meredith smiled even though Cristina couldn't see her.

"Is it that obvious was I throwing myself at him? Maybe he is not interested in me." Meredith was getting nervous now and started to fidget.

"He wants you bad Mer. All you have to do is screw him and you will both realize what you want." Meredith sits down on the floor and puts her head in her hands.

"I don't want to do that what else can I do. I don't want to get rejected by my best friend. Why do I have to be the one to change the friendship?" Meredith asks to no one yet everyone.

"Get him to want you. Then he will want to change the relationship himself." Cristina said. "Oh, by the way I am drinking tequila.

"Good I need a drink why cannot they serve tequila at the dinner. No they serve us Thumper. How? Do you think I should seduce him?'

"Thumper the rabbit that is gross. Here talk to Alex and Izzie I need something stronger than tequila Momma Burke is coming this weekend for Burke's birthday."

"Tell him things like about your tat and tell him about how much you want to have sex. Make him want you so bad it hurts I will give him two days with this plan." Alex said to Mer.

"Increase your touching and kissing. The more physical contact you have the more he will want." Izzie informed her.

"Thanks guys I have to go take my bath. Maybe I should invite Derek to join me." Izzie just laughed and shouted something about she might win the bet to someone in the bar.

"Bye Mer have fun with McFamily."

"Oh, I already am. I will tell you about it when I get home." Meredith hung up the phone and then she got her first idea in plan seduce Derek.

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Meredith filled the bath tub with hot water to the brim and an extra capful of lavender bubble bath so she was sure Derek could smell it. She lit candles around the bath and filled a glass with white wine. She unlocked and opened the door about an inch. Meredith took off her clothes and stepped into the bath aware that Derek could look in if he wanted to.

"Hey Mer," Derek called her from the bedroom.

"Yeah cowboy." She said taking the wine glass by the stem and holding it.

"You left the door open. I wouldn't have noticed by I looked up from my book and saw the door was cracked open. Do you want me to close it I won't look at you?" Meredith just giggled at how embarrassed and scared he was to address her.

"I was a tad warm in here with the door closed. Its not like you haven't seen me naked before besides you were married for eleven years Derek you should know what the female anatomy looks like."

"Oh, okay." Derek said sounding flustered. "I will just keep reading then."

"Okay. Can you come here and hand me Cosmopolitan I want to read something too."

"Umm…I guess I can." Derek grabs her magazine and walks into the bathroom trying to look straight ahead but keeps glancing at Meredith in the bath tub.

"I am not going to bite unless you want me to." Meredith takes the magazine from Derek and he just stands there looking at her.

"Umm…ah…nothing." Derek turns to leave when Meredith calls him back to her.

"It was something you can talk to me." Meredith says trying to play innocent even though she isn't playing fair.

"Nothing important I'll tell you some other time." Derek retreats to the bedroom leaving Meredith with a satisfactory smile gracing her face.

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After a very relaxing bath of finding new ways to torment Derek, Meredith heads to the bedroom to find Derek watching ER.

"You actually watch that. They mess up the medical procedures and sleep around the hospital. And come on no ER has that many interesting cases or hot doctors."

"It's a TV show, Mer. Besides I was only watching it until someone came out of the bath." Derek said fake glaring at her.

"Well I was reading 'How to have your most orgasms during sex' is Cosmopolitan. It was descriptive and educational including lots of new positions. Then I found another article 'Intensifying your Orgasms' both were very informative." Derek just nodded his head choosing not to comment on her type of articles.

"Are you giving up knitting?"

"No I just want to be informed incase someone comes along." Derek nods his head.

"We better get to bed. We have a long day ahead of tomorrow. I am going to teach you to ski."

"Really that sounds like so much fun." Meredith said practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Are you wearing flannel pajamas?" Derek asks Meredith who twirls around.

"Sexy I know but I was going more for comfort and warmth."

"You know that we are sleeping under a very good quality down comforter, right. It gets hot under there." Meredith looks to be thinking about this for a minute.

"Then I will just go change." Meredith disappears into the closet for a few minutes and comes back in light weight pajama bottoms from Old Navy and a white tank top.

"That is much better and if you get cold we can snuggle."

"Oh, Dr. Shepherd I might have to tell Dr. Bailey on you for favoritism." Meredith jokes crawling in the bad that Derek opened for them.

"Why?'

"Are you offering to snuggle Alex or George or Cristina?"

"No way but you are just so cuddly and you are my girlfriend for two weeks so I am sure she will make an exception. Now go to bed."

"Yes sir." Derek is lightly laughing and driving Meredith crazy. "What is so funny?' Meredith rolls over and faces him.

"I can see your tattoo through your tank top." Meredith swats her arm at him.

"Stop looking at me that is perverted." Derek just laughs as Meredith blushes. They are both closer together than when they first got in the bed.

"Good night Meredith."

"Good night Derek."


	11. Day 1 part one

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

_Saturday day 1_

Day 1 part one

Meredith and Derek's bodies snuggled together sometime during the night. Meredith's body was pressed into Derek's chest his right hand wandered up the front of her shirt and landed on her breast and his left was on the outside of her shirt. Their legs were intertwined together under the blankets. It was nine o'clock in the morning when the sun shined through the window peacefully waking Meredith and Derek out of their slumber.

"Mer, are you awake." Derek whispered into her hair still smelling of lavender.

"Yes," Meredith said her voice still laced with sleep. "Derek."

"Hmm…"

"Get your hand off my boob."

"Why do you want me to put it somewhere else?" Derek asked suggestively.

"I would kick you right now but our legs are tangled together. You are very lucky." Meredith turned her head to look at the clock. "Oh my God, look how late we slept."

"We are on vacation, Mer, enjoy it in two weeks you can get up at five." Meredith snuggled further into Derek's arms sighing in content.

"I could lay here forever."

"Yeah." Little feet could be heard trying to sneak outside the door. The owners of those feet slowly turned the knob to the door. Four little girls came tip toeing towards the bed trying not to make a sound. Meredith and Derek decided to play along and act as if they were sleeping.

"Uncle Derek, Uncle Derek you have to wake up now!" All four of the girls shouted in unison at them before turning and leaving the room. Derek and Meredith both sat up in bed.

"I could get used to that. Hopefully one day I will have kids of my own to wake me up on Saturday mornings." Derek said flashing Meredith a big smile before jumping out of bed.

"Which kids were they?" Meredith asked trying to get her names right.

"That was Madyline, Nancy's four year old, Sage, Susan's seven year old, Megan, Susan's four year old, and Lauren, Jenna's five year old."

"Okay so they are the youngest except for baby Claire and Carly." Derek nodded his head.

'You are almost a Shepherd now." Meredith gave a polite smile and was happy on the inside. "Do we have to get dressed for breakfast?" Derek shook his head and carried her caveman style out the bedroom door. Meredith started kicking her legs and Derek stilled them with his hand.

"Put me down, Cowboy!" Meredith said half flirting half serious. Derek let her slide down his body slightly so that her arms were wrapped around his neck and legs around his waist. It was the first time either one of them realized how perfectly they fit together.

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Chaos was the only way to describe the Shepherd kitchen. Plates were stacked on the island. The food consisted of pancakes, waffles your choice of Belgium or regular, eggs scrambled or poached, toast, bagels, sausage, ham, grits, hash browns, bacon, milk, orange juice, coffee, cereal hot or cold, muffins, breakfast burritos, donuts, Cinnamon buns, and energy bars made up the choices. The younger kids were running around the kitchen with random utensils and pots banging on them. The older girls were engrossed in their fashion magazines spread out all over the breakfast table. The older boys were reading magazines on sports teams and cars. The men sat around at the table quietly discussing business even though they weren't supposed to. Derek's sisters and mother were working the kitchen preparing more food. Derek lowered Meredith to the floor and pulled her with him into the family room sensing she was over whelmed by his big, obnoxious family.

"Thank you, you can go back in with your family if you want. I am not hungry." Derek shook his head and pulled her into his arms.

"And pretend I have any clue or interest in business no thank you. I want to make chief one day so I have business things to discuss with them." Meredith nodded her head understanding not fitting in with her family.

"We should probably go back in there. The sooner we eat the sooner you can teach me to ski. I'll learn from experience."

"I am very experienced." Derek replied huskily Meredith turned to him.

"I bet you are." Meredith flirted back catching Derek's eye. The two of them sat on the couch for five minutes just staring into each others eyes.

"Uncle Derek and Aunt Meredith it is time to eat." Kevin said turning and leaving the room not noticing he broke their moment. Awkwardness filled the air once they were left alone.

"We should probably…' Derek started to say.

"I think we are missing…' Meredith said talking at the same time as Derek causing them to both break out in uncontrollable laughter.

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After a hardy breakfast and barely any talking Derek and Meredith were both upstairs getting ready for to go skiing. Meredith decided she needed to work her plan again. She went to her suit case and pulled out two bras. With a devilish smile on her face she turned innocently to Derek.

"Derek, can you help me decide between two things to wear?"

"Yeah," Derek said not really paying attention to her, he was to busy checking his email.

"Should I wear this lacy, black bra or should I wear a sports bra?" Meredith said biting her lower lip hoping she wasn't pushing the boundaries too far. She held both of them up to her chest. Derek looked over at her. She went from biting her lip to a sexy smile in a matter of seconds.

"I don't think anyone is going to see your bra." Derek said factually as he was mesmerized by the thin lacy material.

"Well I can always change before you take me to dinner." Meredith said innocently to him.

"Take you to dinner?" Derek was trying to recall when he said he would take her.

"Yeah, I don't want to be stuck with your family again. End of discussion." Meredith then pouted a little bit. "Derek you never said which one is better."

"Maybe I need to see the black bra on you first to help me decide of course." Meredith walked into the closet determined to make herself irresistible to Derek. She lowers her pajama bottoms slightly so her entire tattoo showed on her back. She slipped her hair out of her pony tail and ran her fingers through it making her hair slightly wavy. Meredith took off her tank top and slid into the black push up bra admiring the way she looked in it.

"Derek, what do you think?" Derek glanced at her body up and down. Her light golden skin shined brightly against the black. Her tight abs, which she got from yoga, looked flawless. Meredith turned around and he saw her tattoo perfectly. It was at that moment Derek realized just how much he wanted Meredith. He got a smug look on his face when he caught on to what she was doing with the bathroom door open, the see through pajama top, and tempting him with the bras. Derek laughed slightly at his stupidity and thought if she can play that game so can I.

"I think it looks good on you. It shows off your best features." Derek said nodding partially. "Now if you don't mind I am going to take a shower." Derek stood up and eased out of his pajama shirt and pajama bottom leaving him in his boxers right in front of Meredith giving her an up close look at his sculpted body. He flashed her the McDreamy and left the room.


	12. Day 1 part two

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

Authors Note: Sorry for the long delay. I was sick and then I had a lot of tests to study for and projects to do. I have been writing this and it was going to finish off day one but I am going to make it three parts now. I also don't know much about skiing so it might not be accurate.

_Saturday day 1_

Day 1 part 2

Meredith stood paralyzed in her spot her eyes glued to Derek's ass as he walked away.

"Like what you see, baby." Derek asked smugly. Meredith remained transfixed until she heard the bathroom door shut. Meredith quickly unhooked her bra throwing it on the floor with Derek's close and slipped out of her pajama bottoms and panties. She pushed open the door to the bathroom and heard Derek singing in the shower unaware of her presence. She carefully and quietly opened the glasses, shower door. Derek remained oblivious to what was happening right behind his back in the shower. He continued to sing along to the radio swaying his hips. Meredith saw her chance to announce her presence when he was running his hands through his hair with shampoo. She slowly added her hands and started massaging the shampoo into his scalp. Derek let out a small moan and pushed Meredith around into the shower wall.

"So you're showering with me now." Meredith bit her bottom lip and looked up at him sexily.

"That's what couples do…" Meredith said breathlessly as she felt her back on the cool tiles and Derek's body pushing into her. "Get used to it."

The bathroom door was pushed open and Ella walked in.

"Oh my God!" Ella shouted. Meredith jumped on Derek to protect herself from his mother's eyes. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her breasts into his chest. Both of their faces were flushed as well as Ella's. Ella was still in the same place staring at them with her jaw dropped. Nancy, Sydney, Susan, Jenna, and Nick come running into the bathroom after hearing Ella shout something.

Meredith and Derek were hot with embarrassment. Only a glass door stood between their naked bodies and his family. Meredith could feel his sister's eyes digging into her skin inch by inch.

"Umm…could you please leave while we finish our shower?" His parents left the room followed by his sisters one by one only leaving Derek, Meredith, and Sydney. "Syd, you should leave to." Sydney diverts her eyes from their bodies.

"I was going to ask you guys if you wanted to go to a night club with James and me. A regular night club one where you wear clothes and dance. I am just going to go now you let you finish. Think about it. I think it would be fun to get to know each other." Sydney dashes out the door not looking up at their faces.

Once the door was closed Derek turned his head to face Meredith who was still in his arms.

"Two things. One put me down." Derek follows her orders and places her on the ground. "And two now your family must think I am slutty. They were all looking at me trying to stare into me and scare me away. Oh god they probably think we were having sex." Meredith turns so red she is almost purple. Derek just laughs and turns the water off.

"They should no by now I am not a virgin. I was married for 11 years for god sake." Derek grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist blocking Meredith's view of his naked body. He threw her a towel and she too covered herself up. An awkward silence followed. Neither knew what to say just minutes before their naked bodies were pressed up against each other.

"Well this is awkward." Was the only thing Derek could think to say to break the ice. Right now Derek wished Mark was there he always knew how to start a conversation.

"Yeah, I mean it shouldn't be. We are just friends. I am doing you a favor. We were just in a very awkward…situation. We are friends and I pushed the limits and got us into this trouble." Meredith rambled on and on hoping Derek would stop her.

"Meredith, it is not your fault that we were in that…situation. We are friends it shouldn't bother either of us. I am sure you saw your other friends naked before." Derek gulped he wasn't ready to lose Meredith-ever.

"Yeah I have seen some of my friends naked before. It does not bother me one bit." Meredith seemed to be in some sort of trance to Derek.

"We should probably get ready to go skiing." Derek said Meredith still seemed out of it.

"Yeah, skiing yeah." Derek walks out of the bathroom and starts to get dressed.

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Meredith and Derek were in the ski shop buying her skis and ski clothing. She decided to go with a pink outfit and matching shoes and a set of skis. Derek wants to get right to skiing so he tells Meredith to change in the fitting rooms.

Meredith is hopping around on one foot trying to put on the skiing pants banging into the wall making a lot of noise. She knows she is having difficulties but she is too stubborn to ask for help that quickly.

"Mer, are you okay in there. You're making getting dressed sound like World War III."

"Ha ha ha you think you are so funny, Dr. Shepherd." Meredith retorted sarcastically. She was still trying to force her legs into the pants.

"Seriously Mer, I don't want to be here all day. Let me at least show you how to get dressed."

"No I can get dressed on my own."

"If you don't let me help you I will tell my sisters that you couldn't figure out how to get dressed." Derek said slyly.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"I got them on." Meredith falls on her butt making a loud crashing sound.

"Sounds like you need a neuro consult. This may be the first skiing accident ever that happened before the skier hit the slopes.

"You win I need help, desperately. I think I am stuck in these pants."

Derek looks around and makes sure know one notices him slip into the dressing room. He almost doubles over laughing at the sight of Meredith on the floor with the pants on totally wrong.

"What did you…how in the world…I am sorry." Derek was unable to form a coherent sentence looking at Meredith sprawled out on the floor.

"It's not funny. Help me or get out." Meredith puts her hand out for Derek to pull her up.

"This kind of reminds me of when I was in college I tried wearing leather pants. They were so tight and it was hot in this dance club that I was sweating and I swear these pants got smaller. I went to the bathroom and had to force the pants back up. I couldn't even move by the end of the night. Mark had a ball when I had those pants on I think he still has some of the pictures he took. My dorm didn't have an elevator so you can image me trying to walk up the stairs."

Derek pulled Meredith up off the floor and stared at her in the pants.

"Do you still have your clothes on underneath?" Meredith nodded her head. "First of all you will never get these pants to fit comfortably with clothes on underneath. And second you put them on backwards and over your shoes." Meredith gave Derek the death glare that she mastered from Cristina.

Derek had to force the pants off of Meredith's body while keeping her steady. She grabbed on to his shoulders while he leaned down on his knees to help get the pants down.

"This is probably the longest it has every taken me to get a girls pants off." Meredith flushed a shade of crimson. "Stop thinking dirty, Mer."

"It's not funny you have to help. Oh shit…" Meredith fell over on top of Derek after losing her balance.

"And this would qualify for one of the most awkward positions."

"I have to agree with you there." Derek was able to pull the pants off of her shoes when she fell on top of him.

"You are free from that death trap. They should seriously put a warning label on them. **Warning: Don't force on top of other clothing. It could lead to awkward positions with friends.**" Meredith and Derek both started laughing.

"They should do that."

"Do you want me to stay incase you have anymore problems?" Meredith nodded her head staring at the floor. She unbuttoned her jeans. Derek's eyes wandered as she slid them down her body. Even though he had seen her body naked now he still couldn't help but stare. She took her shirt off.

"Can you hand me the shirt and pants please." Derek grabbed the items without moving his eyes from her body. She put on the clothes and a pair of snow goggles on the top of her head. "I am ready. Let's go."

"Mer, we are going on the bunny slopes since it is your first time you won't need those. But with a teacher like me you might be on some of the more complicated slopes by the end of this trip."

"So you are good in just about everything I assume then."

"I am good in everything, yes. I can teach you new skills."

"I am looking forward to it." Meredith smiled and walked out of the dressing room.


	13. Day 1 part three

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

**Author's Note: No the alerts are not broken. I actually updated. I was supposed to have this update up a long time ago, but I got really busy between helping my sister plan her wedding, going to visit a friend for a month, and my grandmother being sick. I will try to have the updates up sooner. Life should hopefully be less hectic in October. **

_Saturday day 1_

Day 1 part 3

It was a beautiful day out the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Snow had freshly fallen the night before and was hardly disturbed. Meredith and Derek could see the top of the mountains as they exited the store. Since the store was located within the boundaries of the private community, that Derek's parents owned a house in, they were able to ski straight to the ski resort.

The word skiing had to be used loosely to describe the way Meredith moved towards the snow capped hills. She had one pole in each hand and one ski attached to each foot. Meredith managed to use the ski poles like crutches and more or less hopped to the slopes. Derek, on the other hand, was skiing backwards facing Meredith desperately trying not to laugh.

"Der, are we almost done skiing?" Meredith whined to him as they reached the ski lodge entrance.

"We didn't even start yet. I thought you said you went running. Skiing is like running only different." Derek laughed lightly. "Okay we have to go pay for our passes."

"Oh joy, we have to pay to ski." Meredith said sarcastically.

"Relax I will pay for you I am not a cheap date."

"Good, otherwise I might dump you for a younger model." Derek pouted slightly causing Meredith to giggle.

"Ha, ha very funny." Derek skied up to the window to pay for passes while Meredith lagged behind unable to keep up with him.

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_The Bunny Slope_

_Beginners_

Meredith and Derek easily walked to the top of the small hill. Derek had insisted that Meredith learn the basics on the easiest slope available before venturing off to the steeper more challenging courses.

"Why is everyone else three and a half feet tall?" Meredith eyes scanned around and saw a class of about four or five six year olds with an instructor that looked about twenty and several other young kids in the process of skiing down hill.

"Because this is the easiest course and most kids learn to ski by the time they are over four feet tall." Derek said as he walked over to a more secluded spot beyond the class. "If you don't behave you are going to be the only adult in that class."

"But I bet I would learn to properly ski from a trained instructor." Meredith stuck her tongue out at Derek.

"If you want to check my credentials I'll let you. I learned to ski in Switzerland when I was six. I also taught a class there for two winters when I was in boarding school." Derek said flashing a toothy smile.

"You went to boarding school." Meredith peered at him curious.

"Yeah, it was great in the two years Mark and I were there we had a ball. We even kept a record of who slept with more women." Derek had a faded over look in his eyes and a smile gracing his luscious lips.

"And who one?" Meredith probed Derek for the answers.

"Well the first three months it was close and then I met Addison. Mark never grew out of his ways I guess." Derek quickly shakes his head clearing it from the memory. "Now are you ready to ski?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Meredith gave him a sweet smile.

Derek skied around Meredith so her back was facing his front and placed his hands on her hips.

"One key skill is finding your balance and being able to find it quickly." Meredith nodded her head not hearing a word he said, because she was too transfixed on his hands on her sides. His fingers were gently massaging her hip bones. "Okay now put your arms even with your knees that should be bent. Your arms should be bent at the elbow so you are almost leaning forward. The most important thing is to always keep your head up so you don't run into a tree. Needless to say it won't be easy to perform a surgery at high altitudes and then you would have to be carried on a stre…" Meredith realized she wasn't listening to a single thing Derek said.

"Okay I don't want to hear anymore I will just follow your rules."

"Good, good I was hoping you would say that." Derek flashed the McDreamy smile even though Meredith couldn't see him. "Okay, now just get in to position that I described to you earlier."

"Can you show me I was confused by what you…er…meant?"

Derek slowly moved his hands to her arms and slightly bends them with no resistance from Meredith, who is thoroughly enjoying the feel of Derek's hands on her body. "First you bend your arms slightly. Then bend at the knees just a little so your ass sticks out." Meredith bends over pushing her butt into Derek's crotch. He jumps back a few inches startled by the sudden contact of her body.

"Now what," Derek doesn't respond he is too lost in his own world. "Derek? Earth to Derek!"

"What, what I am here. I was just thinking about the easiest way to show you…how to…ski."

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"Derek, I'm wet." Meredith whined. She had fallen at least 10 times. Each time Derek gladly helped her up. "I don't want to ski anymore." Meredith pouted causing Derek look down at her sitting on the ground. He glances at his Rolex and checks the time.

"We should probably leave if we want to grab dinner before we go out with my sister." Derek pulls Meredith up from the ground and they start to make their way towards the house. Meredith was starting to complain about all the hills and they hadn't even made it to the check out to say they were leaving. To avoid Meredith's nagging Derek decided to take an alternate route he used to use.

"Derek, are we almost there?" Meredith asked for the tenth time. Derek had insisted they take a short cut he knew of as a kid. The short cut was actually longer than the normal path, but it didn't have as many or as steep of hills. The only problem with the alternate path was Derek didn't remember it exactly.

"We're almost home." He was lying through his teeth, but he would never tell Meredith they were lost in the woods.

"Good," Meredith said with a small smile. "Derek, was that your tree house as a kid?" Meredith pointed to a house that was actually on three trees with a suspended bridge between each. Derek looked up at the tree house and his face visibly brightened. "We weren't lost, were we?" Meredith asks with uncertainty in her voice after seeing Derek smile.

"No," Derek covered quickly. "I'm just really surprised that the tree house is still standing. My dad and his buddies used to come up here in June for fishing and hiking. They started talking Mark and I when we were pretty young, but we got bored quickly. So they came to the decision to build us our first tree house. We spent hours up their. We used it until high school." Derek had a dazed smile on his face. "That's why after the mess with Addison I went camping." He took a sip of the water that he purchased back at the slopes.

"I've always wanted to have sex in a tree house." Derek spit his water out of his mouth. "Kind of like Tarzan and Jane." Derek was speechless the rest of the way home. In his mind he was Tarzan and Meredith was Jane.

"Me Tarzan, you Jane." Derek whispered under his breathe so only he could hear.

"We're here." Derek said to Meredith as he opened the door to the connecting ski house. "Take your clothes off."

"All of them?" Meredith asked wondering what Derek had in mind.

He went behind her and whispered in her ear.

"If you want my entire family to see you naked, then yeah take all your clothes off." Meredith turned beet red and started taking off her outer layer of clothing.

They walked into the mud room undetected. Derek looks ahead and remembers his mom was having friends over. "Take my hand." He whispers to Meredith. She obediently does, knowing there most be some reason.

They walk into the kitchen and are immediately stared at by twenty women dressed in Prada, Gucci, and Coach. Derek could tell right away that they were sizing Meredith up. He knew for a fact that at least ten of them wanted to set Derek up with their daughters or themselves. They all turned their attention to Derek giving him sympathetic looks. Derek suspected they were over divorcing Addison, but knowing these women it could just as well be for dating Meredith.

"Hello everyone, this is my girlfriend Meredith." Most of their pampered faces looked shocked that he was dating her. They all politely greeted her before going back to their lunch.

Derek was quickly pulled to the stairs that led up from the kitchen by Meredith, who felt like an outsider.

"Why do they hate me before they even met me?" Meredith asked with a little bit of anger and a little sad from the women's actions.

"In case you haven't noticed I'm a pretty good catch. They all have dreams of marrying their daughters into the Shepherd Dynasty.

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"I call the bathroom first." Meredith yelled already half inside. She closed the door and locked it. Her face was gracing a smirk the size of Texas. They had fought on the way up the stairs about who would get the bathroom first. But Derek realized her crucial mistake and was laughing awaiting her to figure it out as well.

Thirty minutes went by and Meredith had just turned off the water to the shower. Derek was now wearing a large smile waiting for Meredith to admit defeat.

"DEREK!" Meredith screamed his name sounding slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah Mer, is everything alright in there."

"I kind of…uh…needatowel." Derek had understood what Meredith said but pretended he didn't.

"What was that you said?" Derek knew Meredith had to be blushing furiously now.

"I NEED A TOWEL!"

"Oh okay I'll bring you one." Derek goes to open the door, but it is locked. "You're going to have to unlock the door."

"Promise you won't look. You are already probably imaging me dripping wet and naked, but you don't have to see it." Meredith asked sheepishly.

"I cannot promise you that." Derek retorted playfully.

"Fine," Meredith unlocks the door and opens it just enough for her hand to stick out for Derek to hand her a towel.

Meredith slipped into her black and white floral skirt that fell two inches above the knee. She wore a black lacy bra under her very low cut black top. As she walked out she slipped into two inch backless heals and started to curl her hair.

Derek had quickly slipped into the shower. When he came out he sprayed himself with the newest Burberry cologne and dressed in loose fitting black dress pants and his 'good looking' red shirt.

When Derek exited the bathroom Meredith was finishing her outfit off with a diamond necklace. They quickly left the house for dinner without running in to more than three nieces.

The drive to the restaurant was silent until they were patiently waiting to have their car vala parked.

"Mer, we have to pretend we are on a date. My family knows everyone and if even one person suspects we are not really dating our cover is blown." Derek sounded like he was desperately pleading with her.

"Will I get a kiss and you trying to feel me up on the front porch?" Meredith asked sweetly and playfully.

"If the date goes well," Meredith and Derek both laugh, but cannot get the possibility of a good night kiss out of their minds.

The car is finally parked and they start walking towards the hottest restaurant in Colorado. There are at least fifty people waiting outside and a stressed looking hostess. Meredith and Derek are twenty minutes early for their reservations and expect to be waiting a while. There is only one couple in line before them waiting to place their name with the hostess. Meredith over hears the hostess tell the couple they are one hour and thirty minutes slow on reservations and anyone before six o'clock reservations had to wait on the patio. Meredith looked at the time on her cell phone and realized they were going to be waiting almost two hours. Derek grabbed her hand as they walked up to the hostess. He flashed the 'McDreamy' smile and the hostess started to cheer up.

"Hi, I have reservations at five for…" The hostess frowned.

"I am sorry but you are going to have to wait outside like everyone else." The hostess seemed to be reading off of a script. Most people were either watching her or conversing with those around them.

"For Shepherd," Derek finished what he was originally saying before he was interrupted. The hostess flashed a real smile for the first time all night.

"Let me just call the inside hostess." Derek squeezed Meredith's hand and whispered in her ear that they would be seated soon.

The hostess brightened up and looked at Derek and Meredith. "My apologies for making you wait so long." A few people around them snorted. "If you just go inside Charlene will have you seated immediately at our best table overlooking the slopes." Meredith smiled at the fake niceness the hostess was giving them once she heard the name Shepherd. Derek pulled out his wallet and handed the hostess two hundred dollar bills.

"For all the trouble you went through, sweetie." The hostess blushed and signaled the doorman to open the main door. Most people around them glared at them.

Charlene seated Meredith and Derek at a table with three big windows surrounding them. Meredith sat across from Derek at the table. Derek requested a bottle of their finest wine without even knowing what it was.

The wine was brought out quickly. Derek ordered for Meredith and himself in Italian. He wanted Meredith to be surprised about what they were eating.

Meredith had asked Derek to talk about Italy. In Seattle Derek never mentions his family, except the fact that he has a lot of nieces, nephews, and sisters. Meredith had found this the perfect excuse to get Derek to open up about his family. He had started talking about a vacation he took with his grandparents and sisters one summer to the Alps in Switzerland. Meredith was really getting into a story about a nature scavenger hunt that his grandparents arranged for them and discovering the different plants and animals.

The waitress, Emma a daughter of his mother's friend, brought them out their salads. Derek had ordered the trendy Boston Bib salad. Emma noted how happy Meredith and Derek were when they were talking, and how comfortable Meredith was stealing the candied walnuts off of Derek's salad plate. As she walked away to address another table she noticed Derek and Meredith taking turns feeding the salad to each other.

After the salad plates were cleared Derek started talking about his grandmother. He was talking in quieter tones for a more intimate conversation. Meredith leaned in a little bit to hear him more clearly. She was quite sure most of the stuff he was sharing with her was only know by two people, his grandmother and himself. Meredith felt special to know such personal details of his life and small traditions that he shared only with one special person that helped shape him into who he is.

Derek stopped talking when he noticed Meredith leaning in. The candlelight was flickering on her skin. The top of her black lacy bra was showing from her position. Between the candlelight and the top of her bra Derek was distracted from the conversation. He just kept staring at Meredith seeing for the first time just how beautiful she was.

Meredith almost melted in her seat when she looked up and saw Derek staring at her. She gave him her best smile and just kept staring into his eyes. He looks so hot and dreamy tonight, Meredith thought to herself. The way his 'good looking' red shirt clung to his body made Meredith just want to stare at him all night.

"What was I saying?" Derek asked almost sounding breathless. He still hadn't taken his eyes off of Meredith.

"I have no idea." Meredith answers as she shifts her attention from his muscular chest and arms to his lips. They were soft, pink the kind of lips that could kiss you and make you forget about the rest of the world. Then her attention was drawn to his eyes. They were dazed looking and focused on her. The blue color seemed to be intensified enough to brighten up a dark room. Meredith and Derek seemed to stop breathing they were completely quiet and content just staring into each other's eyes. If the waitress had not come back with the main course, Meredith and Derek would have burned holes into each other's heads from the intensity of the staring.

The waitress left Meredith and Derek with the food. They had an awkward pause. Neither one of them knew what to say or do after experiencing what they just had.

"So, what did you order?" Meredith asked looking up at Derek hoping to break the ice.

"I ordered us Tuscan Garlic Chicken. It was one of my grandmother's recipes that she wanted to share with Colorado." Derek smiled broadly. "So if you never get to meet her, you can at least taste one of her signature recipes. It's been an item on her menu since before I was born." Derek said proudly.

"She owns her own restaurant?" Meredith asked.

"She has the best in all of Italy. She named it Emiliana's Casa Cottura."

"Wow that is really cool. That means Emiliana's home cooking right? I haven't had an Italy language class since high school." Meredith said a little embarrassed that she was fluent in Italian like Derek was.

"It does. If you want to learn I could teach you some time. My grandmother would be very proud if you could speak even a little with her."

"I would like that." Meredith replied smiling.

Derek and Meredith are both quiet for a while as they are eating their meals.

"Mmm…Derek this is so good. Your grandmother should send more of her recipes here." Derek just smiles and continues to eat his food.

A couple minutes pass and Meredith noticed that the waitress is making her way back to check and see how things are going. Meredith decides to put operation seduce Derek into action.

Meredith slipped her feet out of her high heals. She noticed that Derek was to busy eating to pay attention to her or the fact that the waitress was on her way over. Meredith quietly slipped her foot on Derek's leg near his ankle. She was barely touching his leg at first. She just gently ran her foot up and down his calf stopping at the knee. Derek either didn't notice or pretended not to notice, and didn't say anything. Emma came up to the table and started to ask how the food was and if they needed anything else. Meredith thought this would be the perfect time to raise her plan up a notch. She slid her foot on to his lap and started rubbing her foot on his crotch. Derek started squirming in his seat and tried to keep up conversation with the waitress.

"The food is verrrrry…good." Derek faced was flushed. He was doing his best to maintain composure and a conversation. Emma either didn't notice Derek acting strange or chose not to comment. Meredith continued to rub her foot against him. She could see the sweat forming on his brow as he got an erection.

"Are you okay, Dr. Shepherd?" The waitress asked concerned when she finally stopped talking about the desserts they had on special, after Derek had asked about them to distract her, and noticed Derek was beat red and sweating.

"I umm…it's just a little warm in here." Derek said trying to hide his predicament. Meredith was sitting at the table smiling at Derek, pretending that she was not doing anything, she asked Derek.

"Are you sure it is not a fever? You look a little flushed, and you are sweating. Plus I feel fine, a little cold even." Derek tried his best not to glare at Meredith she knew perfectly well that he didn't have a fever. Meredith just smirked back at him as the waitress disappeared to check on the temperature of the restaurant.

"You know perfectly well that I am fine, happy even." Derek just replied and then came up with an idea. He casually knocked his fork off the table and underneath it. Derek got up off of his chair and disappeared under the table. No one in the restaurant could tell he was underneath the table, because the table cloth went to the floor. Meredith knew she was in trouble as soon as Derek crawled underneath the table.

Derek put his one hand on Meredith's calf to keep him from falling down when he looked for his fork. He started running his hands up and down her legs. Then Derek started kissing up her leg, starting at the ankle. Meredith had to fight to keep a straight face in the packed restaurant. Meredith was biting her lip so hard when Derek started kissing up her thigh, to keep from moaning, that her lip started to bleed. At that point Meredith realized they were no longer pretending to be in a relationship, now they were waiting for the first one to crack to admit it. Meredith was certain she would not be the first one to crack and it was a fun game they were playing. Meredith than came up with a great idea on how to pay Derek back and smirked. This game they were playing just got more fun.

Derek was continuing to kiss Meredith's thighs and was almost all the way up her thigh. Than as he was kissing her leg, he noticed Meredith shifted. Derek laughed quietly to himself that Meredith was giving in to his treatment as he did hers, until he noticed that she wasn't wearing any panties. It shocked Derek so much that he shot his head up and hit it on the under side of the table.

"FUCK!" Derek yelled loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear. He emerges from under the table holding his fork in one hand, his other hand was holding the back of his head. Everyone stares at Meredith and Derek until the manager comes running over.

"Are you alright Dr. Shepherd?" The manager looks at Derek. "Do you need me to call an ambulance?" Derek took his hand off the back of his head and noticed there wasn't much blood.

"No I am alright. I was just looking for my fork, that I dropped and leaned up when I found it and smacked my head on the table." Derek says trying to hide his usually tell tale signs that he is lying.

Meredith tried not to laugh as the manager apologized profusely about the tables not being high enough off the ground. She was only catching parts of the conversation and was wondering how long Derek was going to make the manager apologize for. "…we should have ordered higher tables….are you sure we cannot send a doctor over here to look at you…maybe we should put lights under the table so you can see…" The conversation went on for five minutes than ten. Every time Derek would try to cut in the manager would stop him to keep talking. Meredith got bored easily and thought it would be fun to see Derek squirming in front of the entire restaurant. She ran her foot straight up his leg to his crotch. This time Derek caught on before she could get out of hand and grabbed her foot in his hands. The tables turned quickly as Derek held his composure and gave Meredith the best foot rub she had ever received. Meredith knew she would soon be squirming in her seat and looking quite funny trying to not moan out loud. She bit her lip until she got an idea. Meredith took her fork and grabbed a forkful of the now cold Tuscan Garlic Chicken and shoved it in her mouth. She was now able to moan at what Derek was doing to her feet and pretend to have an excuse.

"Mmm...!" The manager and Derek's attention shift to Meredith. "Oh don't mind me, I am just eating some of this Chicken. It is sooo good." Derek was unsure whether she was talking about the foot rub or the chicken. He decided Meredith had suffered enough for the moment and set her foot down on his lap. Instead of messing with Derek again, and because she was afraid of how he would repay the favor, she drew her foot away and slipped it back in her shoe.

The manager said one final apology before leaving the table and signaling the waitress to come back over to check on them. Derek smirked at Meredith, and then they both gave Emma their full attention.

"Are either of you interested in having dessert this evening?" Emma asked smiling the whole time.

"I'm having him for dessert." Meredith gave Derek a playful wink. Emma just blushed lightly and gave them their check.

"You can just give it back to me when you are ready." She turned and left before Meredith or Derek could say another word.

Derek slipped more than enough money for the meal. He left a generous tip for the waitress and turned to Meredith.

"Are you ready to go? We can have your meal boxed up, since it was sooo good." Derek just laughed and Meredith shook her head.

"Stop it's not funny, if you hadn't been giving me the world's best foot massage I wouldn't have had to shove food in my mouth."

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The club Sydney picked to meet up looked pretty trendy. There was a line waiting outside in a roped off area. The bouncer outside the club was built, but not that attractive. Many women waiting in line were flirting with the bouncer trying to get inside. Derek didn't like the way some of the men in line were looking at Meredith.

He grabbed her face and kissed her. Derek ran his tongue across her bottom lip and then brought her lip into his mouth to suck on it. Meredith opens her mouth and let's his tongue in. She explores his mouth with her tongue as well. Meredith quickly puts her hands in Derek's hair and starts massaging his scalp. Derek moved his lips to her neck and started giving her light kisses. He soon turned the kisses to bits and started sucking on her neck. Derek wrapped his arms around Meredith and pulled her closer to him, so they were touching everywhere.

"James, I don't see Meredith and Derek anywhere. Maybe we should try calling them. We said we would meet at 8:30, and they are not here." James just looked ahead and ignored his wife.

"Maybe they are waiting in line or maybe they are inside already." James replied to his wife Sydney. Sydney just noticed Derek and Meredith were lost in their own world making out in front of a cheering crowd.

"Well if they keep that up Derek will be inside soon." James follows his wife's line of vision and spots them. All he can do is nod his head in agreement.


	14. What Else?

Title: Pretending to Date

Summary: Meredith and Derek are best friends he is an attending and she is an intern. They never slept together but became best friends instead. Derek is going to visit his family for two weeks. He and Addison tried to work it out but they couldn't. He lied to his family saying he is seeing someone and they want to meet her to make sure he is finally moving on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything or anyone…so sad

**Authors Note: **Sorry that it has been forever and a day. I have been extremely busy with life and school. I also had kind of a writer's block and I still don't know if this update is that great, but I am still going to post it.

_Sunday day 2: Part 1_

What else?

"Mer, Mer come on, we have to get up." Derek said as he shook Meredith. He smiled to himself. Meredith was going to have a long day after all of the tequila she consumed with his sister. He stopped drinking after three scotches.

"Mmm…five more minutes." Meredith mumbled and rolled over.

"Hmm…last night you were willing to get on your knees for me." Meredith looked up at Derek and couldn't remember anything.

"I don't believe you." Meredith said after a few minutes.

"I'll prove it, you said some other interesting things as well. You told me that you wanted to screw me the first night you met me, even though you knew I was married, on the bar if I'm not mistaken." Meredith put her hands on her face to block the shade of red glowing on her cheeks. "You also told me about dreams you had about me, you and the scrub room. And…"

"Ok, ok I believe you." Meredith hid her face under a pillow wondering what else she told him. "Why do we have to get up anyway?" Meredith said desperately trying to change the subject.

"We have a two hour drive to The Hilton to check in for tomorrow's conference. Oh and there is a social tonight that we are going to." Meredith started to sit up, but immediately thought better then to, when her head started spinning.

"I'll get you some Advil," Derek said noticing how sick Meredith was.

"Thanks," Meredith was asleep again before Derek left the room.

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Derek walked down the pure wood steps. He wanted to be quiet, because it was only quarter to eight in the morning. He was hoping no one was going to be up before they left for the conference. Derek was out of luck when he noticed his mother reading the Sunday paper, and then he remembered she always goes to church at nine o'clock on Sunday mornings.

"Derek, I don't suppose you are going to join the rest of the family in church today are you. I noticed you came in late last night." Ellaina Shepherd said to her son.

"We were having fun, dancing and drinking." Derek said as he grabbed a glass of water. "We won't be able to go to church this morning. Meredith and I have a medical conference to go to until Friday."

"Derek, I know you think you like Meredith, but I can get you one of my friends' daughters to go on a date with you. You won't have to be on the rebound anymore." Ellaina said lovingly.

"I'm not on the rebound, Meredith is special to me." Derek said as he grabbed the Advil out of the medicine cabinet.

"There is nothing wrong with her, but she is not like Addison."

"No she's not like Addison. She wouldn't screw my best friend behind my back." Ellaina fell silent realizing it was still a touchy subject with her son.

"So I guess there is no chance of you getting back together than." Derek just grinded his teeth and turned his back on his mother. She pretended to clean the counter even though they had a maid to do the cleaning.

"When Meredith and I get back from the conference, you all better have a nicer attitude toward Meredith. You never would have made any of my sisters' boyfriends feel unwelcome and I don't want it for Meredith either." Derek stalked out of the room with the glass of water and Advil in hand. He had finally stood up to his mother after all these years.

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Derek had an angry scowl on his face when he entered his room he shared with Meredith. Meredith was jolted awake when Derek slammed the door shut. He no longer cared if he woke anyone up, he was angry at his whole family.

"I got your Advil." Derek said assertively.

"Are you mad at me?" Meredith said questioning and hoping she didn't do something to piss Derek off.

"Everyone but you, Mer," Derek said as he handed her the water. She took the pills and tried to get out of bed right away, but instead pulled Derek back into bed with her.

"Do you want to talk about it? Actually better yet, you are not getting out of bed until you tell me what, is the matter with you." Meredith said trying to use the same assertive tone as Derek. "You have taken care of me before and now it is time for me to take care of you." Meredith was on her side and leaning on one arm. Her hair fell down in trundles, framing her porcelain face.

"You look so beautiful right now." Derek said looking into her green eyes that were widened with curiosity.

"No, don't change the subject." Meredith stayed firm, she was hell bent on finding out what angered him.

"I finally stood up to my mother after thirty-six years of my life. I did it for you and me. I told her I didn't like how she and the rest of my family were treating you." Meredith faintly smiled at Derek.

"You did that for me." Meredith asked surprised and happy. Derek took her hand in his.

"I have feelings for you that extend beyond friendship. I don't know how far yet but I am learning. I just could not take my mother saying that you weren't good enough because you weren't like Addison."

"Derek…" Meredith wanted to say that she to had feelings for him.

"I am not finished yet. She made is sound like I was only with you, because I was on the rebound and that you weren't good enough for me."

"But were not really…" Derek silenced Meredith by putting his finger to her lips.

"You mean something to me. You are my very best friend right now and it just was a low jab, almost as bad as Addison and Mark."

Derek climbed out of bed and headed to the closet and Meredith left the room for the bathroom. "I'll pack Mer, you can just shower and get ready. Oh and thank you." Meredith just smiled to Derek as she closed the door to the bathroom.

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Meredith sat on the side of the spa tub and hit the speed dial for Cristina. Instead of getting her voice mail like she would if Cristina was on call or a very grouchy Cristina if she woke her up, it was a very pleasant Cristina.

"Did you screw him yet? Was he good? At exactly what time was it?" Meredith just let out a deep breathe thanking God that Cristina wasn't yelling at her.

"No, but Derek stood up to his mother for me and then he told me he has feelings for me."

"So I can still win the bet." Cristina said happily. "I thought for sure you would only call to tell me who one."

"I better go we have to leave for the conference soon."

"Are you going to be in the same room?" The question was from Izzie who was yelling in the back round.

"Where are you Cristina?" Meredith asked curiously.

"Answer Izzie's question and I'll answer yours."

"I think we are going to have separate rooms. I hope for my sake we do otherwise I don't know how much longer I will be able to withstand him." Meredith said smiling knowing that Cristina would be happy to know she was caving under the pressure.

"Oh, I hope there is a mix up at the hotel." Izzie said in the distances again.

"Am I on speaker phone?" Meredith asked finally noticing back round noises.

"Yeah, we are at the surgically nurses' station. Say hi to everyone."

"Oh God," Meredith said as she hit herself on the head for being so stupid.

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Derek was packed and sitting on the bed waiting for Meredith to come out of the bathroom. He stared at the walls of the room he had since they bought the house. He never would have picked out any of the furnishings or the deep color that was on the wall. Minutes ticked away on the clock as he tried to think of anything than Addison.

"Mer, are you still alive in there. I want to hit the road soon."

"You're driving." Meredith asked putting the finishing touches on her makeup.

"Obviously, there is no other way." Derek said as he paced back in forth in the room. He thought it would clear his head, but it didn't.

"Ok, I am ready. Oh and by the way I might have told have the hospital our private business." Meredith tried to keep her voice casual and hope that Derek wasn't paying much attention to her.

"What did you do?" Derek turned to face her and kept walking closer to her. Meredith in turn kept backing farther and farther away until she was pinned between Derek's body and the wall.

"Cristina wanted to know if we sealed the deal on the bet. I said some things to her that you told me and embarrassed myself as well."

"Who did you embarrass more?" Derek asked out of curiosity. He pushed his whole body into Meredith's.

"It depends how you look at it." Meredith released a breath she was holding.

"Well that is interesting. Why don't we give the hospital something to really talk about?" Derek put his lips on Meredith's with soft but aggressive power. Her hands immediately went to his hair that was always in her fantasies. She tugged on it and ran her fingers through it. Derek pulled Meredith closure with his arms if it was possible. He picked her up as his tongue invaded her mouth and dueled for power of the kiss. Derek would have dropped her right then if her back was pushed up against the wall for support. He left her mouth and started trailing kisses to her ear. The ear lobe was quickly taken into his mouth. He bit it before whispering in her ear. "Do you want more?" The only response that Meredith could come up with was a moan. Derek dropped her legs down to the floor and tried to regain his balance. "Well it will have to wait for another time. We are already running late."

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The car ride was quiet. Meredith could still taste Derek's mouth in hers. She had felt safe, loved, and secure in his arms. She kept thinking about if they would have went farther if it wasn't for this stupid conference they had to go to. She couldn't figure out who really cares about neurological disorders. The two hours seemed to last longer. With only about half an hour left they were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, because of a tractor trailer accident.

Derek drummed his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the clash that was playing on the radio. The only thing running through Meredith's mind was how cute Derek looked with his sun glasses on.

"Something wrong," Derek had caught Meredith staring at him, and decided that they had sat in the car silent long enough.

"No I just was wondering…what brand those sunglasses were?" Meredith was not a good lied and prayed Derek would not catch her in a lie.

"You know we can talk about it. Were friends this shouldn't be awkward for us."

"Yeah, you are right. So are you excited about going to the conference." Meredith was trying to come up with things to talk about. When you are with someone twenty-four hours a day it is hard to find things to discuss.

"It will serve its purpose." Derek said turning the radio off, because it lost its signal. Meredith internally groaned as she realized they would have to talk until they got to there destination.

Meredith tried her hardest to come up with something to say to Derek. The only thoughts going through her brain revolved around the kiss. "You said we could talk about the kiss and right now it is like the elephant in the room."

"Yeah, I meant everything I said and I didn't just kiss you out of impulse. I had been thinking about you since you wore that black dress at the mixer."

"I guess from when I was drunk you know that I have wanted you that long to. Do you think all of our kisses will be like that? Or just that one because the passion had been building for a year?" Meredith asked staring into Derek's eyes.

"We could find out right now." Just as Derek was about to kiss Meredith the car behind him honked and they realized the accident had cleared.

The rest of the trip was smooth sailing. Somewhere along the line Derek and Meredith had held hands. They only let go when Derek would need his hand to drive, but then right away fell back into the motion of holding hands again.

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The car navigated through the city streets with easy before pulling into the circle in front of the Hilton to be parked. The hotel stood before Meredith and Derek as the walked inside. They had forgotten that they were still holding hands after all the time. They walked to the front desk to check in. At the front desk they finally realize they are holding hands and drop them awkwardly.

"Hello, can I help you." The friendly receptionist asked as she typed away feverishly on the computer.

"Hi, I am Dr. Shepherd and this is Dr. Grey, we are here to check in for the medical conference on neurological disorders." The receptionist smiled and handed them one set of keys.

"Between you and I, I am a hopeless romantic. That's why when your friend Cristina called and told me I had to upgrade you to our honeymoon suit." Meredith tried to push the keys back into the receptionists hand.

"What did our friend tell you?" Meredith asked putting on her sweetest smile.

"Oh just how you got married last month and that no one is supposed to know, because your boss has a no dating policy."

"Did she really?" Meredith gritted her teeth, but still had a smile on her face.

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me. I will tell anyone who asks that there was a mix up and by the time you guys checked in that there was no other rooms left."

Derek nodded his head and thanked the receptionist. He took Meredith's hand and headed toward the elevator.

"I am going to kill Cristina. She must have done that after I talked to her and the entire hospital."


End file.
